Use your favorite jarred tomato sauce to make an easy, flavorful Spaghetti Meat Sauce in no time. A couple of unexpected spices in the seasoning mix give this sauce a distinctive, delicious depth that will have guests asking for seconds.
This Easy Spaghetti Meat Sauce is full of fresh vegetables, lean ground beef, tomato sauce and a balanced blend of herbs and spices. What sets this version apart are two spices—ground cumin and ground coriander—that add warmth and aromatic complexity, elevating a classic meat sauce without making it unfamiliar.
Making Meat Sauce with Jar Sauce
Using a high-quality jarred pasta sauce is a practical shortcut that shortens prep time while still delivering great flavor. For this recipe I often use an organic tomato-and-basil sauce rather than plain tomato sauce or canned crushed tomatoes, since it provides a ready base of flavor. If you choose a plain sauce, be prepared to add extra seasoning to taste.
When selecting a store-bought sauce, check the nutrition label for sodium and sugar content—these vary widely between brands and will affect how you season the final dish. Ultimately, choose the sauce you like best.
In addition to classic Italian herbs such as oregano, basil and bay leaves, I add ground cumin and ground coriander (the dried seed of cilantro). These spices give the sauce a warm, slightly earthy character that complements the tomato and beef, making the final dish more rounded and memorable.
One of the best things about this recipe is its flexibility. After you’ve made it once, you can easily adjust the spice levels, increase or decrease particular seasonings, or omit ingredients to suit your tastes and dietary needs.
How to Make It
I like to pack the sauce with aromatic vegetables—onion, garlic, carrot and celery—plus sweet pepper and mushrooms for extra texture and flavor.
Steps Overview
Start by prepping all the vegetables. A food processor speeds this up: pulse the vegetables in batches to avoid overloading the bowl and reach the desired consistency. Finely chopped vegetables blend into the sauce nicely and are great if you have picky eaters.
Heat extra-virgin olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the chopped vegetables and cook until softened, about 10 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high and add the ground beef, breaking it up as it cooks until there is no pink remaining.
Stir in the jarred pasta sauce and all the seasonings, reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook for about 30 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning. If you’re short on time, the sauce is ready after 30 minutes, but for deeper flavor you can simmer it on very low for up to two hours, stirring occasionally. If the sauce reduces too much, add tomato juice or a splash of water and re-season before serving.
This recipe yields a generous pot of sauce—perfect for portioning and freezing for busy weeknights. To make a smaller batch, simply halve the ingredients.
Serving Suggestions
Serve the meat sauce over your favorite pasta, and finish with chopped fresh parsley or basil and freshly grated Parmesan cheese if desired. Garlic bread and a simple green salad make excellent accompaniments.
Enjoy!
More Pasta Recipes
- Creamy Tomato and Spinach Pasta
- Shrimp Spinach Goat Cheese Penne
- Sundried Tomato Pesto Pasta
- Mediterranean Pasta Salad
- Tomato Orzo Soup
Easy Spaghetti Meat Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 onion large
- 3 garlic cloves large
- 2 carrots
- 3 celery stalks
- 1 sweet pepper red or green
- 227 grams fresh mushrooms one package
- 2 pounds lean ground beef
- 6 cups prepared pasta sauce your favorite brand
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- salt and pepper to taste
- ¼ teaspoon hot pepper flakes more to taste
Instructions
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Wash the vegetables and peel the garlic, onion and carrots.
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Cut all vegetables into chunks suitable for your food processor.
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Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
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Process the onion and garlic first. When chopped to your liking, add them to the pan and stir.
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Continue processing the remaining vegetables and add them to the pan as you go. Cook, stirring, until softened, about 10 minutes.
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Raise the heat to medium-high and add the ground beef. Sauté, breaking up large pieces, until the meat is no longer pink, about 10 minutes.
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Stir in the prepared pasta sauce and all seasonings. Reduce heat and let the sauce simmer.
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After about 30 minutes of simmering, taste and adjust the seasonings.
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If you have time, reduce the heat to low and simmer up to two hours, stirring occasionally and adding tomato juice or water if the sauce becomes too thick.
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When ready to serve, taste once more, remove the bay leaves, and adjust seasoning if needed.
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Serve over pasta, and top with chopped parsley or basil and freshly grated Parmesan, if desired.
Notes
- Depending on the tomato sauce you choose (store-bought pasta sauce, crushed tomatoes, or plain tomato sauce), you will need to adjust seasonings to taste. Add seasonings gradually and taste as you go.
- If using plain tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes, add oregano, basil, salt and pepper to build flavor before simmering.
Nutrition
Carbohydrates: 8g
Protein: 14g
Fat: 4g
Saturated Fat: 1g
Cholesterol: 35mg
Sodium: 532mg
Potassium: 623mg
Fiber: 2g
Sugar: 5g
Vitamin A: 1950IU
Vitamin C: 17.6mg
Calcium: 32mg
Iron: 2.7mg