Bob’s Sauce is The Best Spaghetti Sauce, Ever.
But who is Bob? And what makes his sauce so great? Well, Bob is Natalie’s dad—you might remember him from another of his recipes, the delicious award-winning chili—and he makes the best spaghetti meat sauce (no ground turkey here!) on earth. Yes, we’re biased. But just wait until you make a batch of this deeply flavored, slow-cooked, meat-loaded homemade spaghetti sauce. Even just a peek at the ingredients will probably give you a clue to how incredible it is.
A Maximalist Approach to Spaghetti Sauce Ingredients
One of the reasons that Bob’s spaghetti sauce recipe is so, so good is that it brims with ingredients that deliver umami—the “5th taste,” translated from Japanese as meaning “deliciousness.” Mushrooms, tomatoes (and particularly tomato paste) and meat are all sources of umami, and all three of those things are included in this dreamy red sauce. However, there’s nothing especially fancy about any of these ingredients—they’re easy to come by, and not even particularly expensive. In addition to the usual oil, herbs, salt and pepper, here’s the ingredients that go into homemade spaghetti sauce:
Onions
Mushrooms (leave them out if you aren't a big fan)
Garlic
Ground beef
Ground pork
Italian sausage links
Tomato paste
Canned, crushed tomatoes
Canned tomato sauce
Canned, diced tomatoes
Italian seasoning
Worcestershire sauce
Sugar
A Philosophy Lesson in Red Sauce
When it comes to Italian red sauce, there's a lot of variety. In addition to spaghetti sauce, there's pizza sauce, (which is kind of in a category of its own), marinara sauce, and tomato sauce. All marinara is spaghetti sauce, but not the other way around. Okay, it's complicated, but what is the difference between marinara sauce and spaghetti sauce? Ask an Italian, and an entire day might pass without coming to a conclusion. Marinara sauce is meant to be a sauce that you can easily cook, with a can of tomatoes (like those San Marzano tomatoes!), fresh basil and oregano. You can check out our recipe for Homemade Marinara Sauce for more notes. Spaghetti sauce is technically anything you would put on spaghetti noodles (like pesto or Alfredo), but what we mean is a rich, meat-filled sauce that takes us multiple hours to prepare. So put a pot on the stove, and grate some parmesan cheese, because you're in for a treat. You can also go full monty and make our Spaghetti and Meatballs!!
How To Make Bob's Homemade Spaghetti Sauce Recipe
According to Bob himself, the most important thing about this sauce is the long simmer. Is it worth it to make your own spaghetti sauce? One hundred percent! Everything will cook down and the flavors will intensify, so give it as much time as you’re reasonably able. You just can't get this kind of flavor from a jar. Two hours is the minimum, and up to eight hours if you’ve got the patience. Other than that, this is one darn easy spaghetti sauce recipe. Here’s how simple it is:
Sauté onions and mushrooms in olive oil, and then add some garlic.
Add the beef and pork and keep on stirring and sautéing.
When the meat is cooked, pour in the tomato paste, Italian seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, salt, pepper, sugar, and halved sausage links.
Bring to a boil, then let it bubble away at a low simmer for at least 2 hours or up to 8.
What Should I Serve with Spaghetti?
For the ultimate, Italian-American feast, we’d serve this ultra meaty spaghetti sauce accompanied by:
Lots of Garlic Bread
And to finish it off? Our Classic Fudgy Brownies
Can I Freeze This Spaghetti Sauce?
Yes! This sauce freezes beautifully. Whether you’re making it ahead of time for yourself, or filling a friends’ freezer for a meal train, you can definitely freeze this sauce. Just let it cool a bit, and then pour into freezer-safe containers and freeze! It’ll keep for up to two months in the freezer.
Tools You’ll Need
- Large skillet
- Sharp knife
- Big appetite
More Pasta Sauce Recipes To Try
The only barrier to making this sauce at home is the amount of time it takes. If you’re short on time, though, you can still have a delicious homemade pasta sauce. What can I put on pasta when I have no sauce? We've got ideas for that too! Try one of these:
Many of our savory Compound Butters would be great for a bowl of buttery noodles and a sprinkle of fresh herbs like parsley
Sunday is Sauce Day
This spaghetti sauce is the ultimate Sunday, simmer-all-day sauce. If you make it, let us know how you like it! Share a photo and tag us on Instagram using @themodernproper and #themodernproper so that we can see your stuff! Happy eating!
