Weeknight Spaghetti tastes like it simmered for hours on the stove, but can actually be on the table in about 30 minutes! This recipe mimics the flavor of a long-simmered sauce with the addition of a little Worcestershire sauce, beef broth, and brown sugar. So not only is it the fastest sauce I’ve ever made, it’s also my favorite! This recipe has been a long time in development and I’m really excited to finally be able to share it with you!
A little off topic, but I wanted to take a minute to introduce my kitchen helper, Millie! She likes to sit on a bar stool and watch me cook. I’m a crazy cat lady and proud of it! She’s a little rescue cat that my husband gave me as a birthday gift a few years ago and she’s been my shadow ever since. With my kids growing up and leaving for college, it’s been a huge comfort to have her around. ❤️
Let’s get started on the recipe!
The Sauce
I wanted everything about this recipe to be approachable. So I tested the recipe using easy to find, store-brand tomato products. No need to buy expensive tomato products for this amazing sauce!
And as I mentioned earlier, by using a few simple pantry ingredients you can mimic the unami flavor of a long-simmered sauce. Just start by browning some hamburger with onion and garlic. Drain excess grease and add the rest of the ingredients.
Cover, and simmer for about 30 minutes until thickened and flavorful.
That’s all there is to it!
This sauce can also be made ahead of time and reheated just before eating. It’s my favorite sauce for so many reasons. Enjoy!
Weeknight Spaghetti Sauce
1 pound hamburger (85% lean)
1/2 cup onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon basil
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
4 tablespoons tomato paste
28 ounces crushed tomatoes
1 cup beef broth
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 cup half and half, optional
Directions
In a lidded sauté pan brown the onion, garlic, and hamburger together. Drain off all but 1 tablespoon of grease and add oregano, basil, red pepper flakes, and tomato paste. Stir until fragrant (about 1 minute). Add the crushed tomatoes, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and brown sugar. Cover and let simmer for 30 minutes until thickened and bubbly. This sauce is pretty forgiving though and can simmer longer if needed. Remove from heat and add half and half if you would like a bolognese type sauce (I didn’t add the half and half in the picture shown – half of my family likes it better with the dairy in it and half like it better without). Enjoy!
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