Homemade Meat Sauce Recipe
Homemade Meat Sauce is perfect in zucchini noodles, zucchini lasagne and traditional Italian dishes. It is thick, hearty, flavourful and low-carb/paleo/whole30 friendly.
This homemade meat sauce is one of our favourite meals because let’s face it, who doesn’t love a great bowl of homemade meat sauce with spaghetti or zucchini noodles, right?
My husband’s father’s family is Italian and they eat basically Bolognese sauce or meat sauce every weekend. So, every time I say to my husband that we’re having homemade meat sauce with spaghetti or zucchini noodles for dinner, he gets so excited. My son also loves this dish and always asks for more. So cute!
This sauce is absolutely amazing and I’m pretty sure your family will love it too. It’s rich, hearty and flavourful. It’s as good as the traditional recipe, but it’s healthier.
How to eat zucchini noodles with meat sauce?
For me the best way to eat zucchini noodles (zoodles) is with meat sauce. I use my spiralizer to make my zucchini noodles, but I don’t cook them. In fact, I just leave the zucchini noodles raw, place on my plate and top with homemade meat sauce. The meat sauce needs to be hot because it’ll soften the zoodles.
How long meat sauce last in the fridge?
It stays fresh and delicious in the fridge for about 4 days.
How long can you freeze meat sauce?
I place the leftover in a glass containers (serving size portions) and freeze for up 3 months.
What to do with leftover meat sauce?
There are lots of recipes that you can make with homemade meat sauce and here are so ideas for you:
- Make delicious lasagna with it. (This zucchini lasagna or this eggplant lasagna doesn’t call for meat sauce, but you can certainly add it.)
- Stuffed sweet potato, spaghetti squash or acorn (These recipes are made with taco sauce, but you can replace for meat sauce)
- Mm… It’s great in a moussaka
- Whole30/low-cab Chili and soups
Hope you enjoy this recipe and give it a try 😉
Homemade Meat Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 pounds grass-fed ground beef
- ½ tablespoon clove garlic — minced
- 1 ½ cup onions — diced
- 28 oz 1 can crushed tomatoes
- 2 cups any tomato sauce you prefer
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon natural sweetener or sugar — skip it for Whole30
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 ½ teaspoons Italian Seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon red crushed pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon salt
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
Stove method
- In a large Dutch oven pan heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat.
- Add ground beef and cook, breaking into small pieces using a wood spatula. Don’t forget to stir occasional.
- Then, add garlic and onions. Cook for 3-5 minutes.
- Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, sweetener, dried basil, Italian seasoning, bay leaves, salt, and black pepper.
- Simmer partially uncovered for 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Serve hot over pasta, zucchini noodles, lasagne or zucchini lasagne.
Slow cooker method
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.
- Add garlic and onion, and cook until for 3-5 minutes. Transfer to slow cooker.
- In the same skillet, add another tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and cook, breaking into small pieces using a wood spatula. Don’t forget to stir occasional. It’s about 7 minutes. Transfer to slow cooker.
- Add remaining ingredients into the slow cooker and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 6 hours.
Nutrition Information
Amount per serving (1/8) — Calories: 328, Fat: 20g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 73mg, Sodium: 668mg, Potassium: 45mg, Carbohydrates: 12g, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 4g, Protein: 25gIf you make this recipe, please don't forget to snap a photo and hashtag it #primaverakitchen. I really want to see!
What would the carb count be without sugar?
Probably it’s about 9 grams of carbs.
Do you prefer the slow cooker or Dutch oven method better?
Both it doesn’t really matter much 😉