Homemade spaghetti sauce is the perfect addition to your next plate of pasta. This from-scratch sauce recipe is made in a single stock pot and is filled with tomatoes, ground beef, onions, garlic, and bell pepper.
In a large stock pot over medium heat, add olive oil. Once heated, crumble ground beef into pan and cook until browned. Remove beef from pan and set aside.
Add diced onion and bell pepper to pan. Cook until lightly browned and onions are translucent. Add garlic and cook an additional 30 seconds.
Return ground beef to pan. Add crushed tomatoes, sugar, oregano, salt, red pepper flakes, and pepper. Stir to combine. When mixture begins to bubble, cover pot and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 2 hours.
After 2 hours, remove lid and continue cooking for another 30 minutes. Remove from heat and serve.
If freezing, allow sauce to cool completely before portioning into containers/bags.
Notes
112 ounces of canned tomatoes = four 28-ounce cans
Sauce will keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Frozen spaghetti sauce will keep for 3 months (or more) in a tightly sealed container or freezer safe bag. Move from the freezer to refrigerator the night before to thaw.
Sauce can be served over prepared pasta like spaghetti, penne, or rotini.
Sauce can also be used in other recipes that call for a beef spaghetti sauce, like lasagna or baked ziti.