Homemade Meat Sauce
This amazing meat sauce recipe hails from my father-in-law's kitchen and is the best; it’s everyone's favorite. It's thick, hearty, and has phenomenal flavor thanks to a combination of beef, veal, and pork, as well as traditional seasonings that you can adjust as you’d like. Get a pot simmering on the stove this Sunday!
Sunday dinners at my grandma’s always involved some type of pasta; she would make anything from lasagna to stuffed shells, rigatoni with sausage and peppers, or simple spaghetti noodles with sauce.
To accommodate those who didn't like chunks of anything in sauce, she typically made a simple marinara sauce (and had spare ribs simmering in there for extra flavor); I loved her sauce, though I have always had a huge soft spot for a super chunky meat sauce.
At some point in the early months of dating my husband, I had the chance to taste his dad's meat sauce after it had spent a Sunday afternoon simmering away on the stove. I fell madly in love with that sauce.
I've been enjoying it for years (both when he makes it and when I make it!), and the second time that I made it, my husband walked into the kitchen as I was just getting it to a simmer and said that it smelled like his parents' house on a Sunday.
Success.
The Ingredients
This homemade spaghetti meat sauce recipe builds wonderful flavor with these basic ingredients:
- Meat – This sauce uses a mixture of ground beef, ground pork, and ground veal; the combination is sometimes labeled “meatloaf mix”. I have also often done half ground beef and half ground Italian sausage, which is delicious.
- Onions and Garlic – Classic building blocks for a fantastic sauce!
- Basil – This is the only herb used in the sauce and I love it, but feel free to throw in a dash of oregano or any other classic herbs you like. This recipe calls for dried basil, but if you prefer fresh herbs, my father-in-law often substitutes fresh basil from the garden in the summer.
- Red Wine – This gives the sauce some body and little oomph. I use whatever red wine we have available at home, usually something like cabernet sauvignon or pinot noir. This simmers out, but you can omit it if you are unable to consume wine.
- Crushed Tomatoes – These are chunkier than tomato sauce, but more finely processed than diced tomatoes. It lends a wonderful fresh tomato flavor to the sauce.
- Tomato Puree – This is thicker than tomato sauce, but not nearly as thick as tomato paste. It gives great body and smoothness to the sauce.
Meat Sauce vs Bolognese Sauce
Many people interchange meat sauce and bolognese sauce, which is understandable since they are both a chunky, meaty sauce, but there are some significant differences.
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While the meats used are the same, the aromatics differ; bolognese has a base that starts with carrots, celery, and onions. In addition, there is very little tomato product used in a traditional bolognese – it is meaty and thick, often uses beef broth, and always some type of dairy such as milk or cream.
Recipes Notes
Here are a few extra tips on making this amazingly meaty homemade spaghetti sauce recipe:
- The Tomatoes – My father-in-law swears by Tuttorosso crushed tomatoes and tomato puree. He said he loves prefers it because they are both nice and thick, which makes for a heartier sauce. This brand is primarily sold in the Eastern part of the U.S. (though you can sometimes get it on Amazon, from Target, or Walmart), so if you can't find it, feel free to use your favorite or whatever is available. He did note that he has found some brands of crushed tomatoes are a little watery compared to the Tuttorosso brand, so if this happens to be the case, you might want to add a small can of tomato paste to thicken up the sauce.
- Meatless – If you prefer a meatless sauce, you can simply omit the meat and make the sauce as directed below. I've done that multiple times when I've made baked ziti, and it's just as fabulous.
- Extra Flavor – As I’ve mentioned above, you can use different/extra herbs, and even a pinch or two of red pepper flakes for an extra pop!
- Long and Low Simmer – For the best-tasting sauce, once it is simmering on the stove, let it go for at least 2 or 3 hours so that all of the flavors meld and intensify.
- Storage – Allow the sauce to cool to room temperature, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Freezing Instructions – This sauce freezes beautifully! Once the sauce is cooled and in an airtight container, store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then reheat in a saucepan over low heat.
I urge you to run, not walk, into the kitchen and get a pot of this started.
More Favorites Pasta and Sauce Recipes:
- Easy Weeknight Bolognese Sauce
- Homemade Alfredo Sauce
- The BEST Italian Meatballs (another one of my father-in-law’s recipes)
- Easy Baked Ziti with Sausage
Watch How to Make Meat Sauce:
If you make this meat sauce recipe and love it, remember to stop back and give it a 5-star rating - it helps others find the recipe! ❤️️
Homemade Meat Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 8 ounces ground beef
- 8 ounces ground pork
- 8 ounces ground veal
- 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 tablespoons dried basil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- ½ cup (120 ml) red wine
- 2 28-ounce cans crushed tomatoes
- 1 28-ounce can tomato puree
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. When it is shimmering, add the ground beef, pork and veal, and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until the meat is browned.
- Add the onion and garlic to the meat mixture and sauté, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent, about 7 to 10 minutes. Stir in the dried basil and season with salt and pepper.
- Stir in the red wine and let simmer for about 1 minute, until mostly evaporated.
- Reduce the heat to low and add the crushed tomatoes and tomato puree to the pot, stirring to incorporate. Reduce the heat to the lowest simmer possible, and place a lid on the pot slightly ajar. Simmer for 2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally.
Notes
- Equipment – An 8-quart pot or a 7.25-quart Dutch oven is perfect for this sauce!
- The Tomatoes – My father-in-law swears by Tuttorosso crushed tomatoes and tomato puree. He said he loves prefers it because they are both nice and thick, which makes for a heartier sauce. This brand is primarily sold in the Eastern part of the U.S. (though you can sometimes get it on Amazon, from Target, or Walmart), so if you can't find it, feel free to use your favorite or whatever is available. He did note that he has found some brands of crushed tomatoes are a little watery compared to the Tuttorosso brand, so if this happens to be the case, you might want to add a small can of tomato paste to thicken up the sauce.
- Wine: I use whatever red wine we have available at home, usually something like cabernet sauvignon or pinot noir. It can also be omitted if you are unable to consume wine.
- Meatless – If you prefer a meatless sauce, you can simply omit the meat and make the sauce as directed below. I've done that multiple times when I've made baked ziti, and it's just as fabulous.
- Extra Flavor – As I’ve mentioned above, you can use different/extra herbs, and even a pinch or two of red pepper flakes for an extra pop!
- Long and Low Simmer – For the best-tasting sauce, once it is simmering on the stove, let it go for at least 2 or 3 hours so that all of the flavors meld and intensify.
- Storage – Allow the sauce to cool to room temperature, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Freezing Instructions – This sauce freezes beautifully! Once the sauce is cooled and in an airtight container, store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then reheat in a saucepan over low heat.
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
Update Notes: This recipe was originally published in February 2014.
[photos by Ari of Well Seasoned]
Please tell your father-in-law THANK YOU!!!
I can’t wait to make this sauce! My favorite brand of tomato puree is Tuttorosso. I can only find it in one of our Chicagoland area stores, and always stock up when I do. It was at the top of America’s Test Kitchen’s taste testing on one of their episodes a few years ago.
I love a good red sauce recipe, and happy to hear your Grandma used to use spare ribs too, that gives it great flavor!
Your father-in-law and my mother must have had the same cooking teacher! This is exactly what I grew up with (in Pittsburgh, the best hometown ever, by the way) and have passed on to my own daughter. “Are we having red sauce tonight?” was the dinner question of our house, often with her friends at the door or on the other end of the phone waiting for the answer! Thank you for sharing this and for the warm, breezy, inviting way of your blog. It’s a favorite of mine, Pittsburgh prejudice aside!
I can’t wait to try this recipe! I bought rigatoni the other day because I hadn’t had it for awhile, and that is what I’m going to cook for this sauce! What kind of red wine should I buy? I know people always say to cook with what you’d drink, but I don’t know what that would be. Thanks!
Hi Denise, I used cabernet sauvignon since I had an open bottle. I think that’s a pretty good red wine to keep on hand for cooking.
Oak-aged Barbera would also go nicely with a tomato meat sauce.
So I notice there is no oregano, nor anything sweet to take the edge off the tomato flavor. If making traditional spaghetti would you add any other spices?
Forgot to ask about the wine. Whenever a recipe calls for wine, I throw in whatever we have on hand. The problem is we don’t drink much so when we do we splurge on expensive wine. When I add expensive wine to a sauce, it has two effects: First, my husband has a conniption ;) … and Second, the sauce is often overwhelmed by the wine (I see this mainly with red wine).
Even though many recipes call for red wine, they are not specific, even though it can cause wide variances in the taste. It can be really frustrating. Michelle, can you please help us out by giving us a wine in cooking primer? I’m sure i am not the only one with this problem. :)
Thank you!
Kathy from Minneapolis
Hi Kathy, I used cabernet sauvignon since we had an open bottle. I think that’s a good all-purpose red wine to keep on hand for cooking.
the only red wine I have is a sweet red // will that work???
Hi Libby, I have not used a sweet wine, so I can’t say for sure how it would affect the flavor, but I tend to think it should be okay.
They have small 4 packs of wine (6-8 oz. per bottle) now that are perfect for cooking. You can get white and red and keep on hand without it going bad. Make sure you pick the real wine not wine coolers in the refrigerator section.
Hi Kathy, Nope, I wouldn’t change a thing! (I’ve actually never added oregano to sauce.)
Hello!
Just found your web site and wanted to comment. Tuttorosso is available here in Charlotte NC —-I am transplanted from New Jersey years ago. It is the brand that I use myself. I do, however, use the whole tomatoes and pulse in the food processor as I like to make my sauce thick. Also, I do add oregano along with the basil. As far as wine goes, a good dry chianti or Barolo is what I prefer. Excellent recipe and thanks for sharing.
Definitely going to try this making meatballs with the meatloaf mix due to that picky cousin of yours. Where locally does he buy that brand of tomatoes?
Haha! He said he has found them at Giant Eagle in New Ken and Community Market, but that he hasn’t seen the tomato puree in awhile.
I was born and raised in Pittsburgh, and this is the sauce recipe I have made for 60 years. Maybe the Pgh. grandmothers shared this recipe decades ago. I agree with your father-in-law about the brand of tomatoes – they are thicker, sweeter, and often the cheapest brand in the store! I now live down south and “meatloaf” mix is not something they know about here. If I can’t find ground veal I just go with the beef and pork, and it’s still wonderful.
Don’t have Tuttorosso brand here in Utah. It needs to be said however, that using brand-name tomato products DEFINITELY makes a difference – you get what you pay for! Thanks, Michelle :)
Quick search found Tuttorosso crushed tomatoes on Amazon. Might be the only option for those of us on the West Coast…..or a road trip?
I had no idea what to make for dinner tonite, but now I do… That sauce looks AMAZING!! Can’t wait to try it.
Do you have the recipe for the chunky meat sauce with short ribs that you talked about? That sounds like my husband’s version of heaven!
Hi Katie, It wasn’t actually a meat sauce. My grandma would just simmer spare ribs in her “plain” sauce, and then take them out before she served the sauce.
This looks so good! A lot simpler than the one I usually make — I tend to throw in a lot more spices. Can’t wait to give this a try!
I am not one to typically cook with any wine. What do you recommend for this recipe?
Thanks,
Brandy
Hi Brandy, I use whatever red wine I already have open. For this pot, I used a cabernet sauvignon.
I’m not the author but wanted to suggest Paisano wine. I use in many Italian dishes. Not heavy or bitter like Chianti. Not expensive either. FWIW!
I’ve never made my own sauce before, but this looks fantastic!!
Isn’t it fynny how the smell of certain foods stays with you long after you’ve last had it? I remember my grandma also making spaghetti sauce that was oh so delicious. 15 years later my dad found a recipe that smelled and tasted just like hers did.
Ahh, I just made sauce last night! Does his family call it gravy, too? We like Tuttorosso or Contadina in a pinch. Ours is very similar to yours procedurally except that instead of having loose ground meat, we sear off porkchops, beef for braccioli, and pre-baked meatballs to give the sauce its meaty flavor, and we’ve never put onion in it except when we’re doing marinara. Where in Italy is his family from?
Hi Melanie, Definitely do not call it gravy (my family doesn’t either). His family is from Bagheria, Sicily.
This looks AMAZING! I’m not a big fan of pasta, but I will definitely be trying this one!
Your father-in-law is “right on” stating he prefers Tuttorosso crushed tomatoes. They are thick, have a delicious taste, and America’s Test Kitchen likes them, too. Another plus, is they are cheaper (at least here in Northern Ohio) than other brands. My husband uses them to make his homemade tomato soup (Ina recipe), but I will definitely use them when making this pasta sauce.
This looks soooo tasty. I cannot wait to give this one a try! Thank you for sharing as always!
Michelle,
Thanks for posting this family recipe. It looks terrific. I use the same brand of tomato products. If you are lucky to be in the New York/New Jersey area after the first of the year, Shop Rite our local supermarket has a can-can sale which usually features this brand at really good prices.
I use this same combination of meat (ground beef, ground pork and ground veal) for my meatloaf and it is the best! I will have try it for my meat sauce as well. Thanks for the idea!
Thanks for sharing, looks amazing!
I’ll be running to the kitchen after I buy the ingredients! thanks to you and your father-in-law for this great recipe :)
Love this recipe, Michelle! Thanks for sharing. :) Pinning!
Looks Delicious! I think you definitely found the right family for your in-laws :)
This is a great traditional meat sauce recipe that I and untold thousands of Italians have used for years. It’s best meat sauce recipe in existence .Thanks for bringing it to everyone’s attention .If they try it they will love it !
Can’t wait to try it!
This looks divine!
I’ve been craving pasta for days and this has just about sent me over the edge!
Thanks!
The Macadame. xx
http://www.creamstop.com
This looks amazing. I do have a question…..I always drain the grease after browning my meat. Do you do this? If not, is it greasy?
I can’t wait to try it. Thanks!
Hi Marla, I do not drain the meat. I don’t find it to be too greasy, but you could definitely drain it if you prefer to remove all of the grease.