The Easy, Homemade Spaghetti Sauce Your Kids Will Love
Food • by Rita Tarnate • Sep 21, 2020
Cuisine: Italian
Level: Easy
Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 20-25 mins
Serves 8
As kids, when we were asked what we wanted for dinner, my sister would often respond with, “I want spetti!” Our mom, my daughter’s Ahmi, makes a bolognese-style spaghetti sauce, and “Ahmi sauce” is now a household favorite for my family. I use it for pasta bakes, zucchini boats, and, of course, spaghetti night.
Just like my mom, I always make extra. Spoon the leftover sauce into a muffin tin, pop it into the freezer, and store the frozen pucks in a freezer bag. The pucks are perfect, single-serve portions for toddlers and infants eating solids.
My daughter has pasta for lunch every Monday, and having frozen spaghetti sauce on hand makes it super easy. Add a puck or two of frozen sauce to a fresh batch of your favorite pasta, and lunch is ready – buon appetito!
Ahmi's Homemade Spaghetti Sauce
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, diced (optional)
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound ground beef
Salt and pepper, to taste
1½ teaspoons garlic powder
1½ teaspoons onion powder
2 (15-ounce) cans tomato sauce
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
1½ tablespoon oregano
Sugar, to taste (optional)
Notes
- You can go meat-free or substitute the ground beef with ground meat of your choice.
- For a chunkier sauce, include the diced onions and replace 1 (15-ounce) can of tomato sauce with 1 (28-ounce) can of crushed tomatoes. Stir the crushed tomatoes in at step 4.
- My mom is known for eye-balling her measurements, so if you feel comfortable ignoring the measurements and adding all the spices to taste, go for it!
Directions
- In a large, cast-iron pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Simmer the onions until fragrant and translucent.
- Add the garlic and cook until slightly brown.
- Add the ground beef, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Break the beef up into pebble-sized pieces and cook until brown. Be sure to evenly coat the beef in all the spices. Optional: drain beef to remove excess grease and transfer back to the pot.
- Stir in one can of tomato sauce and the tomato paste. Mix well.
- Stir in the second can of tomato sauce, along with more pepper, and the oregano. Mix well.
- Let simmer for about 10-15 minutes then taste. Add more salt, pepper, or oregano until the taste is to your liking. If needed, add the sugar to cut the acidity.
- Keep at a low simmer and stir occasionally until you’re ready to eat.
Sounds delicious! Will definitely try this recipe!