This Perfect Southern Spaghetti Sauce Recipe is a savory and rich thick spaghetti meat sauce filled with aromatics, spices and herbs ready to devour over pastas or in baked dishes!
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The Heart and Soul of Homemade Spaghetti Sauce
Cuisine Inspiration: Italian-American with a Southern Twist
Primary Cooking Method: Simmering
Dietary Info: Contains meat (sausage and beef)
Key Flavor: Rich, savory, with a hint of spice and sweetness
Skill Level: Intermediate
Sweet Highlights:
- Hearty and Filling: With both sausage and ground beef, this sauce is as substantial as it is delightful, perfect for those who appreciate a hearty meal.
- Complex Flavor Profile: The combination of red wine and chicken stock creates a deep, savory flavor, while the Italian seasoning adds that classic herbaceous touch.
- A Southern Spin: Bringing a touch of Southern charm to an Italian classic, this recipe is all about blending the best of both worlds.
- Versatility: Perfect for spaghetti, but don’t let that limit you – this sauce is a fantastic addition to any pasta dish.
- Cooking Joy: The simmering process fills the kitchen with an irresistible aroma, turning cooking into a truly enjoyable experience.
Ingredients
The key ingredients for this Italian Spaghetti Sauce recipe are the following:
- Two Types of meats (Sausage AND Ground Beef or Turkey)
- Onions
- Green Peppers
- Garlic
- Tomato Sauce
- Crushed Tomatoes
- Red Wine
- Chicken Stock
- Italian Seasonings
How to Make Spaghetti Sauce
- Sizzle and Brown: Start with a generous splash of olive oil in a large pot over a sizzling medium-high heat. Toss in the ground beef, crumbled Italian sausage, chopped onion, and diced green pepper. Don’t forget a dash of salt and pepper! Brown the mix until it’s cooked through.
- Garlic Goodness: Stir in minced garlic and let it cook for a minute till it’s fragrant and golden.
- Tomato Time: Throw in crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce. Now, pour in a splash of red wine and chicken stock for that rich, deep flavor.
- Season and Simmer: Sprinkle in Italian seasoning, a pinch of sugar, and red pepper flakes for a subtle heat. Let it all simmer and mingle for 30-40 minutes, until the sauce has thickened to perfection.
- Serve or Store: Serve it up right away, or store it for later to let those flavors meld even more.
Tips for Easy Homemade Spaghetti Sauce
The ingredients above really create the most delicious and rich homemade spaghetti sauce filled with Southern flavor. Here are some additional tips for making this Southern Spaghetti sauce your very own:
- Try Different meats! – Try different meats like venison or even ground turkey and pepperoni and vary up the flavors.
- Make it Vegan! – Also you can make this vegetarian/vegan by replacing the meats with vegetables or even lentils and also replacing the chicken stock with a vegetable stock.
- Allow the Flavors to Simmer – Don’t rush the cooking process for this sauce. For flavors to truly develop, you must let them come together slowly. It is truly worth it!
Spaghetti sauce can be a nightmare to scrape off dinner plates, especially after it’s dried. But with the power of Cascade pure essentials it’s not even an issue. So to all my busy mothers out there wondering how they’ll fit in that evening yoga class or find time to watch that guilty pleasure show, let me offer a helping hand. It’s okay to make a simple spaghetti sauce so you can enjoy a little “me time”.
Great Pasta Recipes
- Cajun Jambalaya Pasta
- Sausage Stuffed Shells
- Spaghetti and Meatballs
- Butternut Squash Ravioli
- Chicken Stuffed Shells
Southern Spaghetti Sauce Recipe
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Ingredients
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lb ground beef or turkey
- 1 lb Italian sausage
- seasoned salt to taste
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 cup chopped onions
- 1/2 cup chopped green peppers
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 1/2 cans crushed tomatoes 28 ounce can
- 1 can tomato sauce 29 ounce can
- 2 tbsp red wine
- 1/4 cup chicken stock
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning can make it homemade
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar plus 1 teaspoon
- 1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Add olive oil to large pot over medium high heat on stove.
- Add ground beef, italian sausage, onion, green pepper and salt and pepper. Brown until cooked.
- Next add garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Then add in crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, red wine, chicken stock, italian seasoning, sugar, and red pepper flakes. Continue to simmer until sauce has thickened about 30-40 minutes then add to additional recipes or serve.
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If I were to add pepperoni how much should I use?
You can absolutely add pepperoni. I would add about 1/2 cup- 1 cup based on your preference.
Ground beef OR turkey….or ground beef AND turkey?
Hi Alicia! Great question it’s OR. I have fixed the recipe card!
Deicious!!! So rich and flavorable
How much do you need for a pot of spaghetti?
This will definitely make a large pot.
Do you use 1 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes or 1.5 cans? I want to make sure I get this RIGHT!
You need 1 1/2 cans.
I am super excited to try this recipe
I have made this twice and followed your recipe to the letter…AWESOME!! Hubby loves it. There’s enough for me to freeze for eatin’ later and it tastes even better (if that’s possible!). Thank you for sharing your awesomeness!!
For the Italian sausage… are you using ground Italian sausage or links?
Ground Italian sausage. You can remove from the casings of the links.
Omg I tried this recipe and it was a HIT in my home.
Can you leave the wine out
Yes you can replace with stock.