READY IN 6+ hrs

Divine Spaghetti Sauce

Read Reviews (111)

"This is one of those all-day simmering beef, tomato and herb sauces. It is very good and very nutritious! Ingredients can be increased or lessened to your taste. Freeze the remainder of sauce in plastic bags in serving sizes. Tastes better with each heating!!" — Lana

Directions

In a large skillet, brown beef over medium heat until no longer pink; cut up any remaining chunks of beef and reserve.
In a large saucepan, combine whole tomatoes and paste; mash until smooth. Cover and heat on low.
In a large skillet over medium heat, quickly sear onion and celery until transparent; add to tomato sauce in saucepan. In same skillet, saute bell peppers and mushrooms for a few minutes, but do not allow them to become soft; add to tomato sauce.
Add Italian seasoning, dried red pepper flakes, bay leaves, basil and garlic to tomato sauce; add beef and mix. Remove cover, simmer over low heat and continue to simmer all day, stirring occasionally.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
Add sauce to pasta; serve.

Kitchen-Friendly View

PREP 30 mins
COOK 6 hrs
READY IN 6 hrs 30 mins

Reviews More Reviews

Most Helpful Positive Review

Jul 30, 2006

Delicious! The best spaghetti sauce I've ever had. I made these changes like a lot of others: --Put tomato paste and tomatoes in a blender and puree instead of mashing them --Only 2 tbsp of Italian seasoning --Add 1/2 cup of red wine --A little less red pepper--depends on your taste --Add 2 tbsp of brown sugar. It helps to negate the acidic bite of the tomatoes and lets the other flavors come through I only had time to let it simmer for 2 hours and it was still amazing!

—MARSHMALO

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Most Helpful Critical Review

Sep 25, 2003

This is really yummy, but involves a lot of unnecessary work. I browned the hamburger in a huge pasta pot and then drained it, leaving a little fat in the pan and setting the meat aside. Then, I softened the celery and onion slowly (for 10 minutes). Then I added the rest of the ingredients. All in one pan! If you don't like CHUNKY sauce, use diced tomatoes, not whole. Also, I stir/mash with a potato ricer, not a spoon. Either way, if you simmer all day, it shouldn't be that chunky (tomato sauce tastes like ketchup, eww). Last, it DOES need sweetness -- I add a tsp. of sugar 15 minutes before serving -- you should taste and do it to your preference. These sound like big changes, but they're not -- and well worth it, if you're going to do this all day. Looking forward to posting my own private recipe soon.

—CHEFSINGLEDAD

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141 Ratings

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Mar 28, 2008

I too love sweetness in my sauce, however, I do not like to add sugar. A friend of ours, who did go to culinary school made a sauce & his was awesome with a beautiful sweetness.. not a sugary artificial one. I asked his secret, I knew he would not add sugar either. He said he adds crushed rosemary. Wonderful! Makes all the difference in taste & no added sugar.

—missalee

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Aug 02, 2003

It was my turn to cook for family dinner (we meet at my dad's on Saturdays), and my 5-year-old daughter wanted spaghetti. I don't like spaghetti, and my husband fixes a packaged sauce when the 2 of them have it. I insisted on a from-scratch recipe and liked the fact that this sauce simmered all afternoon. I left out the celery and peppers (at my husband's request) and added red wine (at my father's request), and served it up. Everyone raved about it, and they are a diverse and picky group. My daughter did not find it too spicy. This might even make a spaghetti fan out of me!

—PUBEENE

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Aug 29, 2002

This was my first try at homemade sauce. It was wonderful! Definately a keeper...thanks for the great recipe!

—GINNYG

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Sep 30, 2005

WOW! This is one supergood recipe. I never used to like homemade spaghetti sauce because they were always lacking in flavor..but not this one..it's yummy! This time I used fresh tomatoes out of my garden because it's that time of year (guess I used about 10 med. size) plus I cut back on the Italian seasoning & only used about 1 1/2 Tbsp. & it was just right, not overpowering. Also, used only 2 bay leaves. With any spaghetti sauce, (even the jar stuff) I always add about 2 Tbsp. of brown sugar as it takes the "bite" out of the tomatoes from the acid in them. My sister-in-law told me about this years ago & I've been doing it ever since. Thanks for a great recipe Lana!

—KATRINA55

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Mar 05, 2007

I really loved this recipe. My son loved it and so did my hubby. It was terrific and really easy! My only changes (after reading other reviews) I didn't do all the steps. I just cooked the ground beef, onion, celery, etc. Just made it a one pot deal. I used really lean ground beef so there was no need to drain. I didn't have time to cook it for 6 hours, but it was fantastic just the way it was after 3 hours. Besides I don't like my ground beef cook to a mealy consistancy anyway. I didn't change the seasonings at all. I love bay and I love my sauce to taste like something other than tomato. I did add a tablespoon of sugar, because I like my sauce to have a 'balanced' flavor. I was surprised the recipe didn't call for salt or pepper. I didn't add it and it didn't need it. Happy cooking! Laura Behrendt

—Luv2cook

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May 15, 2003

This was the best spaghetti sauce I've ever made! I dont like my sauce chunky, so I minced the onions and celery in my food processor before sauteeing them. After they were cooked, I put them back into the processor...along with the tomatoes and tomato paste and processed until it was smooth, but thick. Then I just put it and the rest of the ingredients in my crock pot and and let it simmer all day. I added meatballs the last 3 hours of cooking. The whole family loved it! Thanks for sharing:)

—DIXIEEDARLIN

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Nutrition

Calories
534 kcal
27%

Carbohydrates
75.7 g
24%

Cholesterol
49 mg
16%

Fat
15.6 g
24%

Fiber
9.8 g
39%

Protein
26.3 g
53%

Sodium
774 mg
31%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Divine Spaghetti Sauce

Serving Size: 1/7 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 7
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 534
Calories from Fat: 140

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 15.6g 24 %
** Saturated Fat 5.8g 29 %
Cholesterol 49mg 16 %
Sodium 774mg 31 %
Potassium 1598mg 45 %
Total Carbohydrates 75.7g 24 %
Dietary Fiber 9.8g 39 %
Protein 26.3g 53 %
** Sugars 16.8g
Vitamin A 41 %
Vitamin C 143 %
Calcium 22 %
Iron 89 %
** Thiamin 95 %
Niacin 138 %
** Vitamin B6 55 %
** Magnesium 41 %
** Folate 121 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.