Here’s a classic, comforting spaghetti with homemade meat sauce — simple, rich, and perfect any night of the week 🍝
🍝 Classic Spaghetti with Meat Sauce
🛒 Ingredients (Serves 4–6)
- 12 oz (340g) spaghetti
- 1 lb (450g) ground beef (or half beef, half Italian sausage)
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp sugar (optional, balances acidity)
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried basil
- ½ tsp salt (or to taste)
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Optional: red pepper flakes, fresh parsley, grated parmesan
🔥 Instructions
1️⃣ Cook the Pasta
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Cook spaghetti according to package directions until al dente.
- Reserve ½ cup pasta water before draining.
2️⃣ Make the Sauce
- Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat.
- Add onion and cook 3–4 minutes until soft.
- Add garlic; cook 30 seconds.
- Add ground beef and cook until browned. Drain excess fat if needed.
3️⃣ Build Flavor
- Stir in tomato paste and cook 1–2 minutes.
- Add crushed tomatoes, oregano, basil, salt, pepper, and sugar.
- Simmer uncovered for 15–25 minutes (longer = deeper flavor).
4️⃣ Combine
- Toss drained spaghetti into the sauce.
- Add a splash of reserved pasta water if needed for silkiness.
🍽 Serve
Top with:
- Fresh parsley
- Grated parmesan
- Extra drizzle of olive oil
✨ Variations
- 🍅 Vegetarian: Replace meat with mushrooms or lentils.
- 🌶 Spicy: Add red pepper flakes.
- 🧄 Creamy: Stir in 2 tbsp heavy cream at the end.
- 🍷 Richer: Add ¼ cup red wine while simmering.
If you’d like, I can give you:
- An authentic Italian-style simple tomato spaghetti
- A creamy garlic parmesan version
- Or a one-pot spaghetti (minimal cleanup)
Just tell me which style you prefer 😊
