All-Purpose Quick Spaghetti Sauce 🍝
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Description: This versatile spaghetti sauce recipe is a kitchen essential that can easily be doubled, tripled, or even quadrupled to suit your needs. With its basic ingredients and adaptable nature, it’s perfect for using up whatever veggies you have on hand, whether it’s carrots, green peppers, celery, mushrooms, or anything else lurking in your fridge. Plus, it freezes beautifully in portion-sized servings, making it a convenient staple to have on hand for busy weeknights. Serve it over your favorite noodles or rice and don’t forget to sprinkle with Parmesan cheese for extra flavor. Not just limited to spaghetti, this sauce also serves as an excellent base for lasagna, tacos, chili, or casseroles, making it a truly versatile addition to your culinary repertoire.
Recipe Category: Sauces
Keywords: Lunch/Snacks, Cheese, Meat, Canadian, Kid Friendly, Potluck, Spicy, < 30 Mins, Beginner Cook, Easy
Nutritional Information (per serving):
- Calories: 196
- Fat Content: 8g
- Saturated Fat Content: 3.2g
- Cholesterol Content: 49.1mg
- Sodium Content: 265.3mg
- Carbohydrate Content: 14.2g
- Fiber Content: 3.5g
- Sugar Content: 8.3g
- Protein Content: 17.9g
Yield: 6 cups
Ingredients:
| Quantity | Ingredient |
|---|---|
| 1 lb | Lean ground beef |
| 2 | Onions, chopped |
| 2-4 cloves | Garlic, minced |
| 1 can (6 oz) | Tomato paste |
| 1 cup | Water |
| 1 can (14.5 oz) | Stewed tomatoes |
| 1 tsp | Dried oregano |
| 1 tsp | Dried basil |
| 1/2 tsp | Dried thyme |
| 1/4 tsp | Freshly ground pepper |
| To taste | Red pepper flakes |
Instructions:
-
In a large, heavy frypan, cook the ground beef over medium heat until it’s no longer pink, breaking it up with a spoon as it cooks.
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Once the beef is cooked through, drain off any excess fat by pouring it through a colander. Use paper towels to wipe out the frypan before returning the beef to it.
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Stir in the chopped onions and minced garlic, and cook until they’re softened and fragrant.
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Add the tomato paste, stewed tomatoes (breaking them up with the back of your spoon), oregano, basil, thyme, freshly ground pepper, and red pepper flakes to the frypan.
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Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for about 10 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld together. If the sauce is too thick for your liking, you can thin it out with a bit of water until you reach your desired consistency.
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Once the sauce is ready, taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. Serve over cooked noodles or rice, and don’t forget to sprinkle with Parmesan cheese for a finishing touch.
This all-purpose spaghetti sauce is not only quick and easy to make but also incredibly versatile, making it a go-to recipe for busy weeknights or lazy weekends when you want something comforting and satisfying without a lot of fuss. Feel free to customize it with your favorite vegetables, herbs, or spices to suit your taste preferences and dietary needs. Enjoy! 🍅🌿🍝
