It's easy to make restaurant-style Spaghetti Sauce using just a few ingredients. Adding sausage makes the sauce even more flavorful, but if you don't eat meat its okay to leave it out. This is the recipe I used throughout my long restaurant career.
I love Italian food and especially linguine with spaghetti sauce and sweet sausage! Pasta is the ultimate comfort food and tomato sauce simmered for 4-5 hours building that rich delicious sauce that Italian grandmothers love to make. Of course, the added love they put into the pot makes it even better!
Making spaghetti sauce like Nonna or your favorite Italian restaurant isn’t difficult. As in most cases, it’s about the ingredients and the cooking technique. In this case, the ingredients are minimal and the cooking technique easy to follow. What makes this sauce exceptional is letting it simmer and build the rich flavors that we love. And that my friends is the real secret to good tomato sauce.
What do I need to make restaurant-style spaghetti sauce?
Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make our sauce. In chef speak this is called a mise en place (everything in its place).
Start by browning the sausage in a large pot with olive oil. My favorite pot to use for this sauce is a Rondeau. It’s been an essential piece of cooking equipment
If you do big batch cooking at home this 16 qt All-Clad Rondeau would make a great addition to your kitchen. In commercial kitchens, the Rondeau is the most versatile pot we have.
After the sausage has been browned add the diced onions and garlic and saute until the onions are translucent. Don’t let the onions or garlic burn!
When that step has been completed add the tomatoes and seasonings to the pan.
I only use San Marzano tomatoes in my sauce. San Marzano tomatoes are prized for their balanced and distinct tomato flavor. I also find them to be less acidic. My wife has problems with most tomato sauces unless they’re made with San Marzano plum tomatoes.
Where can I buy San Marzano Tomatoes?
You can find San Marzano tomatoes at just about every grocery store. In the larger chains, you’ll even find different brands including organic varieties. But all San Marzano tomatoes are not created equally. You’ll find some brands contain less tomato and more juice and some may actually be from other regions.
The volcanic soil and the microclimate of the Campagna region account for their balanced rich tomato flavor. In Italy, tomatoes labeled as “San Marzano” must adhere to strict DOP (the Italian protected designation of origin) guidelines, which governs where they’re grown and how they’re processed.
Using the same plant or the same seeds in another region of Italy or other countries will not make San Marzano tomatoes.
How do I tell if the tomatoes are really San Marzano?
The easiest way to tell if the tomatoes are fake is if they contain crushed or diced tomatoes. San Marzanos are only certified whole or in fillets, peeled, and canned.
And since you’re buying tomatoes whole, you need to crush them for the sauce. I love using an immersion blender for this task.
I absolutely love my Waring Professional Immersion Blender. I have had 2 less powerful household units that both burned out. This immersion blender has been going strong for 5 years already and shows no signs of slowing up.
I love that I can use the immersion blender right in the can, it makes clean up easy and puree’s tomatoes, soups and sauces perfectly.
What Else can I make with this Spaghetti Sauce Recipe?
- Leave the sausage out and you’ve got the recipe I’ve used for 40 years over my cooking career.
- Add ground meat and you’ve got a meat sauce
- Add meatballs instead of sausage or in addition to the sausage
- Make a Rosa Sauce from this recipe (after it’s done cooking) by adding heavy cream and romano cheese.
- Use this sauce to make lasagna or chicken parm.
If you love Italian food you may also like these recipes:
- Spaghetti and Meatballs
- Restaurant-Style Clams and Spaghetti
- Fettuccine Alfredo
- Chicken and Shrimp Pepperoni
- Bucatini with Blackened Salmon and Gorgonzola
Restaurant Style Spaghetti Sauce with Sausage
Ingredients
- 4 cloves fresh garlic chopped
- 120 ounces crushed tomato (four 28-32 ounce cans) San Marzano if possible
- 2 pounds sweet Italian sausage
- 2 bunches fresh basil finely chopped
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1 tbsp sea salt or more to taste
- 1/2 tsp black pepper or more to taste
- 1 tbsp sugar optional
Instructions
- In a large heated skillet or saucepot add olive oil and sausage. Saute sausage on both sides until it browns.
- When the sausage has browned add the diced onion and chopped garlic. Continue cooking until the onions are translucent, but do not allow them to burn!
- Add crushed tomatoes, rinse cans with just a little water and add to the sauce (if crushed tomatoes are not available use whole tomatoes and crush by hand or with an immersion blender).
- add chopped basil, sea salt and black pepper to taste (don’t over season, you can always add more later). If you choose to add sugar now is the time to add it.
- After your sauce has reached a boil, reduce the heat to simmer and continue to cook for at least two hours. If you've got the time let it simmer for 4-6 hours for an amazingly rich tomato sauce.
Nutrition
Kathy says
Absolutely wonderful Chef! I wanted to make this for our friends instead of going out as some places are not seating. The tomatoes on our 6ish & 70ishyear old tummies is the best balance of acid. Didnt have to take medication. I used the sausages and also made the chicken parmesan with Italian spaghetti as a side. It may be lots of meat but so delicious you could not get this in a restaurant here near us. I will definitely be using this forever. Thank you Chef!
Annaly says
This is my first time doing a Marinara Sauce and I love the simplicity of how you made it. I used fresh tomatoes and let it simmer for 3 hours. When mixed with my favorite pasta, it’s heavenly! Thank you and God bless.
Rosemary says
This looks incredibly tasty. Love the addition of sweet sausages which I also love.I’m going to have to try it this week 🙂
Shannon Gurnee - Redhead Mom Blog says
Our family LOVES to eat spaghetti. This definitely looks like a yummy recipe. Thanks for sharing.
Jennifer says
Thank you Chef for your recipe. We loved it. I halved it and added 3/4 lb ground beef and 1 Tbsp fish sauce. We really enjoyed it.
Marysa says
This is such a great classic! We love sausages in pasta, it really makes it a hearty dish.
Catalina says
i have some sausages right now and this spaghetti dish will be perfect for dinner tonight! Looks so delicious and inviting!
Kathy says
This recipe looks so good. My family loves having spaghetti. I definitely want to add this to the menu one of these days. I’m always looking for new ways to make spaghetti.
Lynndee says
I was just thinking about adding spaghetti on the menu this week. Will do this. Looks yummy!
Sam | Ahead of Thyme says
I love a good spaghetti sauce, and this looks absolutely delicious! So easy to make too!
R U S S says
This is something I will definitely prepare here at home. I love Italian Food, pasta especially. Pasta is a good break from our typical lockdown food.
Beth says
I’m not a fan of most of the jarred spaghetti sauce we buy at the store, I’ll have to try your recipe and make my own!
LINDSEY PINE says
One of the dishes I’ve been craving since all this covid-19 stay home madness started is restaurant spaghetti sauce. So glad I stumbled upon your recipe!
Heather says
My family devoured this spaghetti! It’s so flavorful and does taste just like a restaurant!
Chelsea Bared says
Great recipe! Just like my nanny used to make, it brings me back to all our wonderful holidays.
Tasheena says
Great recipe! Not sure why I never thought to blend the sauce in the can. Such a great idea.
Terri Steffes says
I always like reading how you do things compared to how I do it. I figure if I am close to your way, then I am in excellent company! We’ve always used our own ground beef, but I love the idea of sweet sausage and am going to give that a try.
Jamie H says
That looks really good! I love my Italian foods, and pasta in general. Can’t wait to try making this!
Theresa says
I just made my own sauce for the first time last week and it is so much better than store bought. I am now hooked on making my own from now on. I cannot wait to try this recipe next. My hubby loves sausage, so this is going to be a hit with him, I’m sure!
GiGi Eats says
Considering we can’t eat out at restaurants right now, making this would be the perfect substitute!! Thank you for the recipe 🙂 Looks amazingly tasty!
Amber Myers says
Spaghetti is a favorite dinner in this house! I’ll have to try this version for sure. We always like to change things up!