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This simple Pasta with Meat Sauce starts with a rich and meaty tomato sauce that takes less than 30 minutes to make. It’s full of flavor and tastes like it’s been simmering all day long! Just toss with your favorite pasta and serve!
This is my go-to sauce when I want something fresh and delicious (but didn’t decide that until 5pm). It comes together in about 30 minutes and the flavor is so rich and amazing.
I used two kinds of meat and let it simmer on the stove for at least 15-20 minutes, or longer if I have the time. It always makes my house smell so good. This sauce is as quick as you need it to be, but gets even richer in flavor the longer you let it simmer.
Once it’s done you just toss it with your favorite pasta (we love linguine) sprinkle on some fresh grated Parmesan and serve.
Now you have no excuse not to make a rich and flavorful pasta with meat sauce – from scratch – any night of the week!
How To Make Easy Pasta with Meat Sauce
I use both ground beef and Italian sausage, which makes this an extra flavorful and meat sauce. In other words, there’s more meat than sauce, which I love, but you can cut the amount of meat in half if you want it saucier. Or use double the sauce and have an extra batch to freeze for next time.
After you’ve cooked the meat, drain it and add a couple jars of pasta sauce, fresh garlic, and seasonings. Then bring it all to a simmer.
While the sauce is bubbling away, cook the pasta to al dente. Add a little cream and a whole bunch of fresh basil to the sauce just before tossing in the pasta.
Once the pasta is cooked, don’t drain it, but add it right into the sauce and stir it around to coat. This method helps the sauce cling to the noodles better. Don’t ever rinse your pasta!
Storage Tips
How to Store Leftover Pasta with Sauce
When you store pasta in sauce, it tends to continue absorbing little by little, so keep that in mind.
Cool the pasta completely, then store in an airtight container for 3-4 days in the refrigerator. Reheat in the microwave, adding a little splash of water if needed to rehydrate.
To freeze just the sauce, pour into a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 6 months. I don’t recommend freezing the pasta in the sauce because it can break down and change the texture as it thaws.
More Easy Pasta Recipes
- 15 Minute Spaghetti Pomodoro with Homemade Meatballs
- One Pan Spaghetti and Meatballs
- One Pot Beef Stroganoff
- One Pan Chicken Cordon Bleu
Easy Weeknight Spaghetti with Meat Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons Olive oil
- 1 pound Lean ground beef
- 1 pound Ground Italian sausage
- 4 Garlic cloves peeled and minced
- 2 teaspoons Dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon Crushed red pepper flakes or more for a spicier sauce
- 2 Bay leaves
- 48 ounces Marinara or spaghetti sauce 2 (24-ounce jars)
- 1 pound Pasta like spaghetti or linguine
- 1/4 cup Chopped fresh basil leaves
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup Heavy cream optional
- 1/2 cup Freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus extra for garnish
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a 5 quart saute pan or large pot over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and Italian sausage and cook, crumbling with a wooden spoon or spatula, for about 6-7 minutes or until the meat is no longer pink. Drain the grease.
- Stir in minced garlic, bay leaves, dried oregano and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 minute.
- Stir in marinara. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer on low for about 15 minutes or up to 2 hours, stirring every 15-30 minutes.
- About 15 minutes prior to finishing the sauce, bring a large pot of water to boil. Add a tablespoon of salt and the pasta. Cook according to package directions.
- Stir fresh basil and heavy cream into the sauce and simmer for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Once the pasta is cooked to al dente (cooked, but with a bite) add the pasta directly to the sauce and stir/toss to coat. Add ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan and toss again.
- Divide into bowls and garnish with extra Parmesan cheese and fresh basil.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer Kristin Maxwell of “Yellow Bliss Road” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. For accurate calorie counts and other nutritional values, we recommend running the ingredients through your preferred online nutritional calculator. Calories and other nutritional values can vary depending on which brands were used.
Excited to try this recipe tonight! When do you add the bay leaf?
I made this tonight and it was just awesome. Super quick and super easy. I had serious misgivings about the red wine sub, but I’m so glad I tried it – it was PERFECT. This is going into heavy rotation for sure.
So glad you tried it! It’s a great substitution for when you don’t usually have red wine on hand!