The Best Weeknight Pasta Sauce

I’ve made a lot of variations of pasta sauce over my many years of blogging, but I think this version wins the title of The Best Weeknight Pasta Sauce. Why? Because it’s incredibly easy, budget-friendly, and uses only a few ingredients, yet has a wonderfully rich and hearty flavor. In fact, I love this pasta…

The post The Best Weeknight Pasta Sauce appeared first on Budget Bytes.

I’ve made a lot of variations of pasta sauce over my many years of blogging, but I think this version wins the title of The Best Weeknight Pasta Sauce. Why? Because it’s incredibly easy, budget-friendly, and uses only a few ingredients, yet has a wonderfully rich and hearty flavor. In fact, I love this pasta sauce recipe so much that the last time I made it, I dug into the leftovers with a spoon. I just skipped the pasta and went straight for the good stuff. 🤷‍♀️

Overhead view of a pot of homemade pasta sauce.

“Ok, why didn’t anyone ever tell me that making homemade pasta sauce could be this simple and delicious? Love this! I only had canned diced tomatoes on hand, so I pulsed them in the blender for a few seconds and then used them in lieu of crushed tomatoes. So good!”

Samantha

Simple Pasta Sauce Recipe

This homemade pasta sauce recipe is SO SIMPLE, yet so very good. To make it, I use ground beef, olive oil, onion, butter, crushed tomatoes, Italian seasoning blend, and salt and pepper. That’s it. It’s kind of like a shortcut Bolognese but ready in a fraction of the time, so you can get dinner on the table fast during the week.

The secret to getting so much flavor out of such simple ingredients comes down to two things: butter and a good 30-minute simmer. The simmer dulls the acidic flavors of the crushed tomatoes and helps caramelize the natural sugars into a subtle sweetness. The butter adds body and a slight creaminess, which again helps balance the natural acids in the tomatoes. You need both elements to make this pasta sauce the absolute best it can be!

Print
Add to Collection Go to Collections

#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0 .wprm-rating-star.wprm-rating-star-full svg * { fill: #343434; }#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0 .wprm-rating-star.wprm-rating-star-33 svg * { fill: url(#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0-33); }#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0 .wprm-rating-star.wprm-rating-star-50 svg * { fill: url(#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0-50); }#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0 .wprm-rating-star.wprm-rating-star-66 svg * { fill: url(#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0-66); }linearGradient#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0-33 stop { stop-color: #343434; }linearGradient#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0-50 stop { stop-color: #343434; }linearGradient#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0-66 stop { stop-color: #343434; }

This rich and subtle pasta sauce is incredibly easy, which has earned it the title of The Best Weeknight Pasta Sauce in my house!

Step-by-step photos can be seen below the recipe card.

Course Dinner, Main Course, Sauce

Cuisine American

Total Cost $5.62 recipe / $0.94 serving

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 40

Total Time 45

Servings (about ¾ cups each)

Calories 198kcal

Author Beth Moncel

Equipment

Sauce Pot

Ingredients

½ lb. ground beef $3.16
1 Tbsp olive oil $0.19
1 small onion $0.39
2 Tbsp butter $0.24
28 oz. can crushed tomatoes 1 can, $1.52
½ tsp Italian seasoning blend $0.05
black pepper freshly cracked, $0.05
salt to taste, $0.02

Instructions

Add the ground beef and olive oil to a pot and sauté over medium until the beef is cooked through (about 5 minutes). If you’re using a higher fat content beef (10% or higher), you may want to drain the excess fat once the beef has browned.
While the beef is cooking, finely dice the onion. Add the diced onion and butter to the cooked beef. Continue to sauté until the onion is soft and translucent (about 5 minutes).
Next, add the crushed tomatoes, Italian seasoning blend, and some freshly cracked pepper (10-15 cranks of a pepper mill). Stir everything to combine.
Place a lid on the pot and allow it to come up to a simmer. Once simmering, reduce the heat to low and let the sauce simmer for 30 minutes.
After a minimum of 30 minutes simmering, add about ½ tsp salt, stir to combine, then taste and add more if needed. The flavor of the sauce will deepen and the complexities will pop once the salt is added. Serve over pasta or your favorite roasted vegetables.

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Video

Nutrition

How to Make Weeknight Pasta Sauce Step-by-Step Photos

The ingredients to make homemade pasta sauce.

Gather all of your ingredients.

Brown the beef: Start by adding ½ lb. ground beef and 1 Tbsp olive oil to a pot. Sauté the beef over medium until it’s cooked through (about 5 minutes). If you’re using a higher-fat content beef, you may want to drain the excess fat once it’s cooked through. While the beef is cooking, finely dice one small onion.

Browned ground beef with onions and butter in a skillet.

Sauté the onion: Add the onion and 2 Tbsp butter to the cooked beef, and continue to sauté until the onions are soft and translucent (another 5 minutes or so).

Crushed tomatoes added to browned ground beef in a skillet with seasonings.

Make the sauce: Next, add a 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes, ½ tsp Italian seasoning blend, and some freshly cracked pepper (10-15 cranks of a pepper mill). Stir until everything is combined, place a lid on top, and let it come up to a simmer. Once simmering, turn the heat down to low and let it simmer for at least 30 minutes.

Simmer: After simmering for 30 minutes, the sauce will be much less acidic and slightly sweeter, but to make the flavor really pop, you need to add salt. I would start with ½ tsp, give it a taste, then add more to your liking.

And that’s all! Seriously, SO easy. And while the sauce is simmering away for its 30 minutes, you can prepare your pasta or whatever else you plan on eating with your sauce that night. 😉

Overhead view of homemade pasta sauce with spaghetti on a plate with a fork.

It’s the only pasta sauce I need, and really, I only need the sauce. Pasta optional. 😂

I’ve been making this recipe for a loooong time now (I first posted it in 2018!). And thanks to reader feedback, I’ve learned just how flexible it can be. Here are a few ideas to try in your own kitchen:

Swap the ground beef for ground chicken or turkey.
Add in some minced garlic (around 2 cloves) when sautéing the onion.
If you’ve only got canned diced tomatoes, either blend them before adding to the skillet or crush them as they cook (just note the texture will be a bit chunkier!).
Stir in two finely shredded carrots with the onion. They meld into the sauce as it cooks, adding natural sweetness and a little extra veg without being obvious! Zucchini is also delicious, and would make this sauce taste similar to my hidden vegetable pasta sauce recipe.
If your sauce is still acidic even after the 30-minute simmer, stir in a little sugar at the end to round out the flavor.
Want to make it meatless? Just skip the ground beef, or use your favorite vegetarian meat crumbles. You could also follow my lentil Bolognese recipe for a totally plant-based option.

Serving Suggestions

This pasta sauce recipe is, of course, awesome with any shape of pasta. Go with whatever you have in your pantry, or for a seriously flavor-packed meal, try it with our spaghetti aglio e olio. It’s also amazing over roasted vegetables! I originally shared this sauce in my roasted eggplant with meat sauce recipe, and it’s still a favorite of mine. This recipe would make a great lasagna sauce, too, and don’t forget a side of garlic bread!

Storage & Reheating

This easy pasta sauce recipe is one of my most meal-prepped dinners. Once cooled, it keeps well in the fridge for up to 3-4 days in an airtight container. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container (leave some room at the top for expansion). Let it thaw in the fridge before reheating in the microwave or on the stovetop.