Homemade Spaghetti Sauce 🍝✨

A hearty, flavorful sauce made with ground beef, vegetables, and herbs—perfect for pasta nights!

Ingredients

• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1½ lb lean ground beef
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 green pepper, chopped
• 1 cup mushrooms, sliced
• 1 bay leaf
• ¼ tsp oregano
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 can crushed tomatoes (28 oz.)
• 1 can tomato sauce (12 oz.)
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped (optional, for garnish)

Directions

1. Cook Beef & Vegetables: Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add ground beef, onion, garlic, green pepper, and mushrooms. Cook ~10 minutes until beef is browned and vegetables softened.
2. Add Tomato Base & Seasonings: Stir in tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, and tomato sauce. Season with salt, pepper, sugar, bay leaf, oregano, and Italian seasoning.
3. Simmer: Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 hour. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking and blend flavors.
4. Final Steps: Remove bay leaf. Serve over cooked spaghetti or your favorite pasta. Garnish with parsley if desired.

Details

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
• Total Time: ~1 hour 20 minutes
• Servings: 6

Tip: This sauce freezes beautifully—store in airtight containers for quick pasta nights!