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Easy homemade spaghetti meat sauce with Italian sausage.
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5 from 7 votes

Easy Homemade Spaghetti Meat Sauce with Italian Sausage

Easy homemade spaghetti sauce with Italian sausage is bursting with flavor and perfect for a weeknight dinner. Fresh ingredients simmered low and slow to perfection create a restaurant-quality sauce that will have your family begging for seconds.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time3 hours
Total Time3 hours 15 minutes
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 6 servings
Author: Chula King

Equipment

  • 12-inch nonstick skillet with lid

Ingredients

  • 1 pound (16 ounces) mild Italian sausage (See Tip 1)
  • 1 ½ cups chopped onion (1 medium onion)
  • 1 ½ teaspoons dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 cloves garlic minced (1 teaspoon) minced (1 teaspoon)
  • 14.5 ounce can petite diced tomatoes
  • 8 ounce can tomato sauce
  • 6 ounce can tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon light brown sugar
  • ¼ cup dry red wine
  • ½ cup water

Instructions

  • Brown Italian sausage in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat, breaking up the meat as it cooks. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Allow to cool; rub meat between the palms of your hand to break into small pieces.
  • Wipe the skillet with a paper towel to remove any remaining grease. Add onions; sauté over medium heat for about five minutes, until the onions begin to soften.
  • Return the sausage to the skillet. Add the basil, oregano, salt, pepper, and garlic. Stir well to combine; cook for 30 seconds or until the garlic is fragrant.
  • Add petite diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, red wine, water, and brown sugar; stir well to combine. Bring to a slow boil.
  • Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for three hours, adding more liquid if necessary. (See Tip 2)
  • Correct the seasonings if necessary. Yield: 8 servings. (See Tip 3)

Video

Notes

  1. If your sausage is in casings, remove the casings before cooking and crumbling.
  2. Rather than cooking the meat sauce on the stovetop, you can cook it in a slow cooker on the high setting for 5 hours or covered, in a 300°F oven for three hours. 
  3. This makes excellent leftovers. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days, or in the freezer for up to three months.