This spaghetti sauce was part of my slow cooker week, and I have to tell you, it’s an all time favorite at our house! This recipe can be easily doubled, and it freezes beautifully making it a time saver for future meals. What else can I say, but that it’s spaghettilicious!
Ingredients you’ll need:
2 1/2 lb extra lean ground beef
8 oz sweet or spicy Italian sausage
1 large sweet onion, finely diced
olive oil
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 1/2 Tbsp dry Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/2-1 Tbsp coarse sea salt [more or less to your taste]
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 [24 oz] jar marinara sauce [i.e.Bertolli Five Cheese]
2 [8 oz] cans basil, garlic & oregano tomato sauce
1 [14.5 oz] can basil, garlic & oregano diced tomatoes
1 [6 oz] can basil, garlic & oregano tomato paste
3-4 Tbsp brown sugar [more or less to taste]
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
16 oz thin spaghetti, cooked to al dente
Directions:
While the meats are cooking, pour all of the remaining ingredients: the jar of marinara sauce, tomato sauce, tomatoes, tomato paste, and brown sugar into a 6 quart slow cooker. Add the cooked ground beef and sausage with the onion and seasonings to the slow cooker and give it a good stir to blend the ingredients together. Place the lid tightly on top, and set the slow cooker on low. Cook for 6-7 hours and I recommend giving it a stir midway through the cooking time, if possible. Just before serving mix in 1/4 cup of chopped fresh basil. Taste and adjust the seasonings if needed. Serve over hot spaghetti. Yield: approximately 3 quarts
Cook’s note:
Don’t shy away from the brown sugar. It neutralizes the acidic taste of the tomatoes and lends a richness to the sauce that makes it so delicious! If you’d like to change it up a little, toss in 3/4 cup of pepperoni minis 2 hours before the sauce is finished cooking. Kids always love a surprise ingredient!
Slow Cooked Spaghetti Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 lb extra lean ground beef
- 8 oz sweet or spicy Italian sausage
- 1 large sweet onion finely diced
- olive oil
- 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 4 cloves garlic finely minced
- 1 1/2 Tbsp dry Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/2-1 Tbsp coarse sea salt [more or less to your taste]
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 [24 oz] jar marinara sauce [i.e.Bertolli Five Cheese]
- 2 [8 oz] cans basil garlic & oregano tomato sauce
- 1 [14.5 oz] can basil garlic & oregano diced tomatoes
- 1 [6 oz] can basil garlic & oregano tomato paste
- 3-4 Tbsp brown sugar [more or less to taste]
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
- 16 oz thin spaghetti cooked to al dente
Instructions
- In a stove top pan, over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef, Italian sausage and diced onion in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. Cook until no pink remains..
- Drain any excess fat from the pan, then add the Worcestershire sauce, minced garlic, dried Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, sea salt and black pepper.
- While the meats are cooking, pour all of the remaining ingredients: the jar of marinara sauce, tomato sauce, tomatoes, tomato paste, and brown sugar into a 6 quart slow cooker.
- Add the cooked ground beef, Italian sausage, onion and seasonings to the slow cooker and give it a good stir to blend the ingredients together.
- Place the lid tightly on top, and set the slow cooker on low. Cook for 6-7 hours.
- Just before serving mix in 1/4 cup of chopped fresh basil. Taste and adjust the seasonings if needed.
- Serve over hot spaghetti.
Recipe Notes
Don't shy away from the brown sugar. It neutralizes the acidic taste of the tomatoes and lends a richness to the sauce that makes it so delicious! If you'd like to change it up a little, toss in 3/4 cup of pepperoni minis 2 hours before the sauce is finished cooking. Kids always love a surprise ingredient!
Laura says
Can you cook this sauce on the High setting of your slow cooker for less time ?
Melissa says
You can. Depending on your slow cooker, do watch so it won’t burn around the edge.