This Hearty Homemade Spaghetti Sauce is one of those recipes that came from me cleaning out the fridge and dumping things into a pot to simmer. However, the end result was seriously the best sauce I have ever made. I will be honest, my homemade spaghetti sauces have usually been lackluster. I just couldn't get the flavor just right. Sometimes it felt more like chili than spaghetti sauce. Yes, seriously - that bad. I have usually let my Beau make it, or resorted to one of our favorite brands of homemade sauce. This time, I hit it out of the ballpark. Seriously, this stuff is the most amazing thing I have created.
Hearty Homemade Spaghetti Sauce
First off, I have to explain why this is now one of those recipes where you have a secret ingredient that you just know makes it better than anything you've ever had before. What is in this batch of sauce is about average of what I or my Beau have made in the past. There are two differences though. I needed a bit more sauce, but didn't have any tomato paste or sauce to make it work. I did however have this carton of tomato basil soup. I also have never added red wine to a pasta sauce, but people kept telling me it was better that way. So, for once, I did what others had suggested and made my sauce a bit drunk. I guess you could say I sauced my sauce.
I diced up my bell pepper and onion, then grabbed some crushed garlic out of the fridge (yes I cheat and buy it in a jar in oil - it's just so much easier). I started it cooking and once it got mostly soft, I added in the whole package of ground meat I had on hand. Yes, I wasn't thinking. I usually make a much smaller batch. There are only 3 of us here - this was really too much for us, but I had already dumped it in and said, oh well it will be a great freezer meal later maybe.
Once the meat and veggies were cooked, I started pouring in my diced tomatoes, tomato sauce and seasonings. I looked into the pot and knew I needed something else. That's when I went to my pantry and thought, "this soup can't hurt". So I added that, then the wine. I let it simmer for about 45 minutes on medium heat. I would walk in the kitchen and stir it here and there, but it was really a set and forget pot of sauce.
At some point, about halfway through cooking, my Beau went in and tasted it. I heard moans from the kitchen. Yep, that is right. Moans. He came into the office where I was at the time, with a cracker that had a bit of sauce on it. Um, wow. I took a bite and I swear my eyes rolled back in my head. I asked if he had added something to it, and he said not a thing. (He is infamous for adding more salt to everything I cook - this needed nothing.)
- 2 pounds ground meat (we use lean grass fed ground beef)
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 5 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 20oz. diced tomatoes
- 8oz tomato sauce
- 1 carton Simply Balanced Tomato Basil Soup
- 1 Cup Red Wine
- 1 tablespoon oregano
- ½ tablespoon basil
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 1 teaspoon marjoram
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 package preferred pasta, cooked as directed on package
- In large stockpot, heat olive oil, bell pepper, onion and garlic.
- Cook on medium high heat for 5-7 minutes or until onions are turning translucent and starting to soften.
- Add in ground meat and cook for additional 5-7 minutes on medium high heat or until cooked through and no pink remaining.
- Drain any excess oil off at this point
- Add in remaining ingredients (except pasta).
- Simmer on medium heat for 45 minutes stirring every 7-10 minutes to prevent sticking. If your stove tends to run hot, you may want to put this down on low so it is a super low but steady simmer.
- Serve over favorite pasta
Yes, this homemade spaghetti sauce really takes some time. Yes, it includes a trip to Target to buy their tomato basil soup, but I promise it is worth it. I used a basic Post Red Wine, cheap (under $6 a bottle) that I grabbed at Kroger. You could use any red wine and have similar results. I'm not much of a drinker, more of a cook with alcohol person, so I can't honestly tell you if a higher quality wine would improve the flavor. Honestly, it's so good I don't think it could use any improvement.
If you love nice hearty pasta dishes, we have a few others that our favorites for you to check out.
Garlic Tomato Halibut Pasta
Leave a Reply