Garden Tomato Spaghetti Sauce
This savory and flavorful garden tomato spaghetti sauce is easy to make, and incredibly delicious!
I really went big on tomatoes in my garden this year, and it is paying off right now in spades! Every time I go down to check on the garden and gather the produce, I come back with a big basket full of tomatoes. If you also have tomatoes coming out of your ears this time of year, I have another delicious recipe to share with you!
This garden tomato spaghetti sauce is amazingly delicious. It’s so savory and flavorful, and easy to make too! It does take a little time (all of the best spaghetti sauce recipes do!) but most of that time it’s just bubbling happily on the stove with no effort required from you except an occasional stir. I’ve already made several batches of this sauce this year, and probably have several more in my future. It is the absolute best!
Peeling the tomatoes can be a bit of a pain, but the easiest way I’ve figured out to do it is to cut a small x in the bottom of each tomato with a sharp paring knife, then put the tomatoes in boiling water for a couple of minutes. From there, move them to an ice bath, and the skins should slip right off really easily. Once they’re peeled, you’ll core them, then pulse them a few times in a blender or food processor just to break them up a little.
I like to use a combination of ground beef and mild Italian sausage in my sauce, but you could substitute ground pork or ground turkey, or use all beef or all sausage. I haven’t tried a vegetarian version yet, but it’s on my list to try! (And since I once again have a giant pile of tomatoes on my counter waiting to be used, that day may be coming quite soon.) Once the meat is cooked and drained, you’ll add the tomatoes, as well as some beef broth, tomato paste, and seasonings. Let it all simmer together for about an hour, and you’re all set!
This sauce freezes really well (I just scoop it into quart sized deli containers), and you can use it to make delicious spaghetti, lasagna, baked rigatoni – you name it! It has such a delicious depth of flavor and tastes amazing. I really don’t know if I’ve ever had a better spaghetti sauce than this one. There’s something extra delicious about knowing that I grew the tomatoes I used in it. If you don’t have a garden, you could easily use tomatoes from the farmers market to make this sauce. The tomatoes are abundant and generally pretty inexpensive in the farmers markets around here right now. If you love garden tomatoes like I do, you definitely need this sauce in your life!
Garden Tomato Spaghetti Sauce
Print Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 pounds fresh garden tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion diced
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 pound italian sausage
- 1 6 ounce can tomato paste
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
Instructions
- Wash the tomatoes and cut a small x at the bottom of each tomato with a paring knife. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and fill a bowl halfway with ice water. Add the tomatoes to the boiling water for 2-3 minutes, then move to the tomatoes to the ice water bath. Peel and core the tomatoes, then slice into quarters. Add the tomatoes to a blender or food processor and pulse 3-4 times, until the tomatoes are broken up slightly but not pureed. Set aside.
- In a dutch oven or heavy pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened. Add the garlic and cook 2-3 minutes, until fragrant. Add the ground beef and italian sausage to the skillet and cook, crumbling into smaller pieces, until browned and cooked through. Soak up the excess grease with paper towels. Add the tomatoes to the pot, as well as the tomato paste, beef broth, sugar, salt, Worcestershire, and dried basil. Stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for one hour, stirring occasionally, until thickened. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
