This easy ragu sauce is loaded with meaty goodness and simmered in a rich, savory tomato sauce. Absolutely packed with flavor, this homemade spaghetti sauce will ruin you for store-bought options forever! Ready in just 40 minutes, spaghetti night has never tasted better!
Why You’ll Love This Ragu Recipe
There’s nothing like a big bowl of comforting pasta to make you feel happy and satisfied. Here’s why you’ll fall in love with this hearty pork and beef ragu too!
- So Easy: This is a simple, but oh-so-decadent, homemade spaghetti sauce is made in just one-pot, in under 45 minutes.
- All That Flavor: It’s rich, hearty, savory, and 100% satisfying. The balance of flavor is so awesome, you’ll want to lick your plate clean!
- Extra Meaty: We load our ragu sauce with both ground beef and pork sausage. It’s almost guaranteed to be your husband’s favorite!
- Versatile: It’s amazing served over any kind of pasta. It can also be used to make ravioli lasagna, baked ziti and stuffed shells.
- Freezer Friendly: This is a great recipe to double, or even triple, if you have a large enough pot. We love making extra to freeze, so it’s ready to go anytime!
Looking for a meat free pasta sauce? Try our favorite creamy Alfredo sauce, easy homemade marinara sauce or this garlicky basil pesto sauce!
What You’ll Need
We love recipes where you can do most of your shopping directly from your pantry and fridge. Scroll down to the recipe card for exact amounts.
- Olive Oil: Avocado oil also works!
- Veggies: We’ll be using finely chopped yellow onion, carrots, celery, and freshly minced garlic.
- Meat: For a hearty ragu sauce, we love using lean ground beef and Italian sausage. Choose mild or hot based on your preference.
- Beef Broth: A bone broth will add even more depth of flavor.
- Red Wine: Choose a dry red wine you like to drink here, do not use a sweet wine. If you don’t want to use wine, add more broth instead.
- Tomatoes: We use canned San Marzano crushed tomatoes and tomato paste.
- Seasonings: We use salt and pepper, but you can also add Italian seasoning if you want a little extra herb-y flavor.
How to Make Ragu Spaghetti Sauce
Let’s be honest… Many of us think making homemade pasta sauce is just too hard. Thankfully this beef ragu recipe is incredibly easy and ready in under 40 minutes! Scroll to the recipe card at bottom of the post for full detailed instructions.
- Sauté: In a large heavy bottomed pot, like a Dutch oven, add the oil and chopped vegetables. Sauté for about 4 to 5 minutes until they start to soften. Add the garlic and cook for another minute, until it smells amazing!
- Meat: Add the ground meats and brown them, using a wooden spoon to break it up. If there’s a lot of extra grease, drain it off.
- Wine: Pour the red wine into the pot and simmer for about 5 minutes, until the alcohol is cooked off.
- Simmer: Stir in the rest of the ingredients and simmer, uncovered, for about 20 minutes, until the sauce is nice and thick. Give it a good stir occasionally so the sauce doesn’t burn.
- Enjoy: Serve it hot over freshly cooked pasta!
Cook’s Tips for Best Results
If this is your first time making a homemade spaghetti sauce, you’ll appreciate these tips and tricks.
- Good Wine: Whenever you see wine in an Italian cooking recipe, choose one you’d actually enjoy drinking. Cooking wine often has zero flavor and tastes vinegary. Good red wine helps to release the flavors and its natural acidity tenderizes the meat.
- Spicy: Hot Italian sausage will add a good amount of heat. For a little heat, use mild Italian sausage and add up to 2 teaspoons of crushed red pepper flakes instead.
- Pasta Choice: We really love serving this ragu recipe over a thick, hearty pasta. Look for a dried pasta that’s light in color and takes a little longer to cook. Then boil it so it’s just al-dente. Add the hot pasta directly to the sauce and serve!
- Brown The Meat: To make sure your sauce has a good meat-y flavor, make sure you get a good browning on the ground meat. We cook it until it starts to darken on the edges.
What to Serve With Ragu Pasta Sauce
We always serve this classic ragu sauce over fresh pasta with grated parmesan cheese and chopped parsley on top. Don’t forget a piece of garlic bread along with a light side salad for the perfect dinner.
Any kind of salad will be great, but we’re partial to our strawberry spinach salad with a big bowl of pasta. Our wilted lettuce salad would also be a great contrast. This traditional Italian sauce is also great used in our extra easy baked ravioli recipe!
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
We always make a double – or triple – batch! This homemade spaghetti sauce freezes wonderfully for a super easy dinner another night.
- Fridge: Store leftover sauce in the fridge for up to 4 days in an airtight container. We recommend storing the sauce and pasta separately.
- Reheat: This sauce reheats quickly in the microwave, or you can reheat larger portions in a sauce pan on the stove.
- Freeze: Transfer the cooled sauce in an airtight, freezer safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw sauce overnight in the fridge before reheating.
More Easy Sauce Recipes
- Mushroom Sauce For Steak
- Remoulade Sauce
- Homemade Cheese Sauce
- Easy Tartar Sauce
- Homemade Honey Mustard
- Homemade Brown Gravy
Yield: 6 servings
Ragu Sauce
This easy ragu sauce is loaded with meaty goodness and simmered in a rich base of red wine, broth, and tomatoes. Absolutely packed with flavor, this homemade spaghetti sauce will ruin you for store-bought options forever!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 carrot, diced
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 1 lb ground Italian sausage, casing removed, mild or hot
- ½ cup red wine, or additional beef broth
- ½ cup beef broth
- 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- Salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook for 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
- Add the ground beef and sausage. Brown the meat and use a wooden spoon to break up and crumble the meat as it cooks, until no pink remains. If you have a lot of excess grease, drain off the excess before continuing.
- Pour the red wine into the pot. Bring to a simmer and cook until the wine is reduced, about 5 minutes.
- Add beef broth, crushed tomatoes and tomato paste. Bring back to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened. (Do not cover the pot – you want the sauce to reduce and get thicker.)
- Serve immediately, as desired. We love to serve it over pasta with grated parmesan cheese and a little fresh chopped parsley on top!
Notes
Store: Transfer cooled, leftover sauce to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 4 days. We recommend storing the sauce and pasta separately.
Reheat: This sauce reheats quickly in the microwave, or you can reheat larger portions in a sauce pan on the stove.
Freeze: Transfer the cooled sauce in an airtight, freezer safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw sauce overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Good Wine: Whenever you see wine in an Italian cooking recipe, choose one you’d actually enjoy drinking. Cooking wine often has zero flavor and tastes vinegary. Good red wine helps to release the flavors and its natural acidity tenderizes the meat.
Spicy: Hot Italian sausage will add a good amount of heat. For a little heat, use mild Italian sausage and add up to 2 teaspoons of crushed red pepper flakes instead.
Pasta Choice: We really love serving this ragu recipe over a thick, hearty pasta. Look for a dried pasta that’s light in color and takes a little longer to cook. Then boil it so it’s justal-dente. Add the hot pasta directly to the sauce and serve!
Brown The Meat: To make sure your sauce has a good meat-y flavor, make sure you get a good browning on the ground meat. We cook it until it starts to darken on the edges.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 serving, Calories: 465kcal, Carbohydrates: 15g, Protein: 30g, Fat: 30g, Saturated Fat: 11g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 14g, Trans Fat: 0.3g, Cholesterol: 104mg, Sodium: 904mg, Potassium: 1000mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 8g, Vitamin A: 2071IU, Vitamin C: 17mg, Calcium: 81mg, Iron: 5mg
