A colleague of mine gave me this recipe years ago, we love it so much we have never bought a jar of pasta sauce since. We make in several times a year and almost always have a jar or two in the freezer…which is perfect for a quick, no fuss dinner!
After cooking I usually make a lasagna or two and freeze the rest in freezer containers.
Tara's Pasta Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 pounds lean ground beef
- 4 large onions - chopped
- 6 large cloves garlic - finely chopped
- 1 green pepper - seeded and chopped
- 3 - (796ml) cans diced tomatoes (If the tomatoes are in a thick sauce, don't drain. However, if the tomatoes are in a watery liquid, drain at least one can.)
- 1 - (680ml) can tomato sauce
- 1 - (369 ml) can tomato paste
- 3 tsp. garlic powder
- 2 tsp. onion powder
- 2 tsp. dried oregano
- 1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (you can adjust to suit your "heat" preference)
- 4 - bay leaves
Instructions
- Partially brown ground beef, draining any fat.
- Add onions, garlic and green pepper. Continue cooking until meat is browned and vegetables have softened.
- Add canned tomatoes, tomato sauce and tomato paste. Stir well.
- Add remaining ingredients. Stir. Simmer, uncovered, on low heat for 3 -4 hours. Stirring occasionally.
- Divide into containers and freeze, or use part now and freeze the rest for later.
This recipe made almost two litres of sauce for the freezer, one lasagna for dinner and one lasagna for the freezer.
Do you make your own pasta sauce?
What is you favourite type of sauce to put on hot pasta?
ashley picco says
mmm – that looks yummy. I attempted making my own sauce once and it was super bland…now I stick to adding ground beef to bravo…but this looks easy and delicious
Monica says
Give it a try Ashley, we love it and it is very easy to make.
Sugar & Spice & All Things ? Nice says
This is so weird. My hubby and I were just talking about making our own pasta sauce ( have never found a canned /commercial variety we like) and opened my mail this am and BAM…. the perfect recipe just waiting to come to my house. Thanks to Tara and to you for posting it!!!
Monica says
Give it a try Pat, it’s really simple and also very delicious!
Cheryl says
Yum! I love pasta dishes!
Jodi Shaw says
I think you are hubs new best friend. He wants so badly to do this but I get cheap and buy store bought sauce lol. This is a recipe (which looks good) and doesn’t seem too hard to do.
Monica says
Jodi, I bet your hubby and you would both love this! It works out to be quite economical too. I always buy the ground beef on sale, same with the tomatoes, sauce and paste. I bought HUGE bottles of oregano, garlic, & onion salt at Costco, I’m sure they’ll last a long time…lol!!
pam says
Homemade sauce is the only way to go…simply delicious. Thanks for the recipe, another I must keep in mind.
Your final picture is food porn at it’s best:)
Monica says
lol…food porn, love it!!
Brandi says
Delicious! This would be great to make and freeze as well! Thanks for sharing :) I hate buying the canned stuff and have always wanted to make homemade :)
Monica says
We always freeze some Brandi, it is so delicious!!
Kathy says
OMG….that looks and sounds so good! I have got to try that It wounds so economical, too, which is great on a fixed budget.
Monica says
Kathy, we have been making it for years, it is so simple and very economical too!
Heather, Mmm... is for Mommy says
Mmm! Looks so good :) I love a good sauce (and LOVE lasagna).