Ahhh spaghetti. The epitome of comfort food. Slurping up those noodles, dripping in tomato sauce and covered in parm! Actually as a kid I was slurping up noodles covered in Becel margarine covered in parm…and I wonder why my belly was always sore! However, once I made it over to the spaghetti and meat sauce team, I was hooked. Making my own spaghetti sauce was one of the first things I learned how to make. In university I would make a huge bowl of pasta (whole wheat, cause you know, “healthy”) and simmer onions, garlic and fresh tomatoes on the stovetop with basil, oregano and maybe a splash of red wine if there was some leftover from the night before. Not too shabby for a 20 year old biosci student who was stressed beyond belief!
This recipe, is a variation on the one my mom has 
made for my entire life, so I call it Mom’s Spaghetti Sauce! I believe the original recipe was in Chatelaine. It is, in my humble opinion, a perfect tomato sauce. And when you mix it with grass-fed ground beef? A bolognese that will make any Italian grandmother cry tears of joy. Okay so maybe I’m being a little melodramatic, but that’s only because homemade tomato sauce is AMAZING. Even using (organic) canned tomatoes! Trust me. It’ll change your life!
IMPORTANT: If you are going to put the time in to make your own spaghetti sauce (which is absolutely worth it, I promise!) be smart about it! Make as much as you can and freeze it in portions for a later date! The best thing is being able to pull homemade spaghetti sauce out of the freezer and dump it into sautéed ground beef. Toss that over noodles of your choice (I personally love zoodles or sweet potato noodles, but anything will do!) and you have a fabulous, home-cooked meal in less than 10 minutes.
- 2 tbsp fat (olive oil, tallow, lard)
- 2 onions, diced
- 4-6 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cans organic tomatoes (I used Kirkland brand from Costco)
- 2 cans organic tomato paste (Kirkland)
- 1 tbsp oregano
- 1 tbsp basil
- 1 tbsp chili flakes (optional)
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 lb grass fed ground beef
- In a deep pot, heat 2 tbsp fat over medium heat.
- Add diced onions and sautee until translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add minced garlic. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add in canned tomatoes, tomato paste and all spices.
- Cover and simmer for 30-40 minutes.
- Serve over your choice of noodles or turn into bolognese (see below).
- Sautee grass-fed ground beef, seasoned liberally with sea salt, until cooked through. About 3-4 minutes.
- Add ⅓ of the tomato sauce, about 3 cups, to the cooked beef. Cook for a few minutes.
- Serve over your favourite type of noodle!
- This tomato sauce recipes makes enough for 3 meals for 4 people, so 12 servings. I typically use ⅓ of the tomato sauce and mix it with ground beef for 2 dinners and 2 leftover lunches. Divide the remaining sauce into 2 containers and freeze for a later date!
