I love Italian food and especially linguine with spaghetti sauce and sweet sausage! Pasta is the ultimate comfort food, and letting the tomato sauce simmer for 4-5 hours builds a rich, delicious sauce with incredible flavors that Italian grandmothers love to make.
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You’ll see many recipes for “Quick and Easy Spaghetti Sauce” and in a pinch they’re fine. But making spaghetti sauce like Nonna or your favorite Italian restaurant isn’t difficult — and once it’s on the stove, there isn’t any more you need to do other than an occasional stir of the pot for this simple recipe.
When it comes to cooking, it’s about the ingredients and the technique. In this case, the ingredients are minimal and the cooking technique is 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. And this great recipe is a versatile one that you can absolutely make ahead for use on pasta for easy dinners on busy weeknights, but it can also double as a pizza sauce, or you can even use it as a dipping sauce for your garlic bread or mozzarella sticks.
Ingredients to make restaurant-style spaghetti sauce
Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make Authentic Italian Spaghetti Sauce with Sausage. In Chef Speak this is called the “Mise en Place” which translates to “Everything in its Place”.
Not only does setting your ingredients up ahead of time speed up the cooking process, it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.
Do I have to use sausage to make this pasta sauce?
No, you don’t. You can use this recipe and just eliminate the sausage. Sausage or pork bones do add additional flavor, but if you let it simmer for four or five hours, it will still be an amazingly delicious spaghetti sauce even without the sausage.
If you want to add other meats, ground turkey, ground beef, or plant-based alternatives can work well, too.
How to make Italian Spaghetti Sauce with Sausage
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 throughout my career as a chef at the restaurants I’ve worked at and in my home.
Chef Tip
*You can use spicy Italian sausage if you like heat, but I prefer the milder regular or sweet Italian sausage. I found the addition of red pepper flakes to the sauce will add enough heat for my tastes.
You can also use sausage meat (out of the casing) if you want a meatier sauce. That alone or combined with ground beef is another delicious way to make a meaty sauce.
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 fresh basil, sea salt, sugar, and black pepper to the pan.
Sometimes I save half the basil to add to the spaghetti sauce when it’s finished cooking. I like how the basil cooks into the sauce, but some prefer to add it the sauce at the end of the cooking process, so it adds a brighter, fresher basil flavor.
What is the best type of tomato for spaghetti sauce?
While you can use fresh tomatoes to make a homemade sauce, I only use San Marzano tomatoes. 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 govern 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 spaghetti sauce. I use an immersion blender for this task.
I love that I can use the immersion blender right in the can, it makes clean-up easy and purees tomatoes, soups, and sauces perfectly.
Once the sauce is finished, just serve this delicious spaghetti sauce over your favorite pasta. If you choose, garnish with fresh parsley or basil.
Who’s ready to sit down to a plateful of delicious homemade spaghetti with sausage? After one bite, you’ll agree that this is the best homemade spaghetti sauce you’ve ever tasted.
But here’s the best part: tomorrow, it’s going to taste even better. When I make a big batch of spaghetti sauce, I wait two days before I freeze it so the flavors have time to build.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can also store this sauce in a freezer bag for up to 6 months.
Recipe FAQ’s
Yes, you can. Italian sausage, meatballs, ribs, or just about any meat can be put directly into the sauce raw as long as you are cooking the sauce until the meat is cooked. The internal temperature of the meat must be at least 165 degrees.
*Searing the meat before adding it to the pot will make the sauce more flavorful.
I love using the sauce to make my chicken parmesan recipe or eggplant parm. It’s so much better than jarred spaghetti sauce. You can also add cream and Romano or parmesan cheese to make a Rosa Sauce (aka Vodka Sauce).
Yes, it does. And I always make a large batch of sauce when I do make spaghetti sauce and freeze enough for those days I don’t feel like cooking. It will last up to 3 months in a tightly sealed container.
More Pasta Recipes You’ll Love!
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
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon sea salt or more to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper or more to taste
- 1 tablespoon sugar optional
Instructions
- Place a large skillet or stock pot over medium high heat. When the pan is hot then add the 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.
Faith says
I didn’t have San Marzano tomatoes in the cupboard (they are new to me), so I used another type. And I found your recipe with only enough time to simmer the sauce for an hour. Still, this recipe was AMAZING! I will be making it again, but with the best tomatoes and more simmer time. Plus I’ve bookmarked your site.
Chef Dennis Littley says
Thanks for letting me know you enjoyed the recipe and trust me when use San Marzano tomatoes and let it simmer for 4-5 hours it will be heaven! Just make sure you don’t buy San Marzano Style. And real San Marzano are never sold crushed.
Sharon Smith says
I made this recipe. Used fresh tomatoes and Sweet Italian sausage links out of the casing and dried basil. I think adding tomato paste would have enhanced the flavor. However, the sauce although “light” will be delish with the garlic toast I plan to serve with it.
Chef Dennis Littley says
I’ve never heard this recipe called light before. How long did you let it cook?
vasaliki says
I had ground pork sausage and frozen whole tomatoes in the freezer I wanted to use up and canned San Marzano tomatoes. This was the best sauce I have made and will be my new go to recipe. I did not use sugar. I made it early in the morning and tasted it mid morning. It was so good I ate a bowl of sauce for breakfast!
Chef Dennis Littley says
Thanks for letting me know you enjoyed the sauce, its the breakfast of champions!! I have a big pot of it on the stove right now. Leaving the sugar out is a personal choice. Some folks like to add finely minced carrots to add sweetness.
Lisa says
This is the exact same recipe I use for my red sauce…the only exception is that I add some locatelli cheese to my sauce AND a whole carrot to suck up any acidity. I was looking for how to do sausage and came across this recipe!
Chef Dennis Littley says
It’s the same recipe I’ve been using for more than 40 years
Cbid says
Would this be okay to freeze? Also, I noticed the recipe serves “16” but I counted only 15 1/2 sausages in the demo video. Is that correct? Thank you. I am looking forward to trying this.
Chef Dennis Littley says
Yes it freezes well, and I used whole sausages so there would have been 16 half pieces.
Linda says
I have been making the same Spaghetti Sauce that my Mother made for years. I have tried other recipes and my Family has always requested I go back to the “old” recipe.
However, this recipe was a HUGE hit! It is a wonderful.
It will not replace the “old” recipe but it has earned a spot on the menu selection!
The recipe is well written and easy to follow.
I think this sauce is better than my Mother’s and prefer it over the “old” recipe!!
Chef Dennis Littley says
I’m happy to hear that my sauce recipe was a hit with your family. And I’m sure your old recipe deserves its spot as the number one sauce on your home menu.
Joe says
I can’t wait to try this. Retired and will spend time making a great spaghetti sauce.
I have ground Italian sausage that I’d like to use for meatballs. I am NOT a chef. I’m not even a “cook”. I’m good at making breakfast and I’ve learned to make a great jambalaya. Now I want to be good at spaghetti and spicy Italian sausage meatballs. Need simple help with meatballs. Please!
Chef Dennis Littley says
Hi Joe
Here is my recipe for spaghetti and meatballs https://www.askchefdennis.com/spaghetti-and-meatballs/
You can replace the ground pork for the sausage and the meatballs. I’m sure the sausage will make them extra flavorful.
Martha says
If I don’t want to add any meat to this, are there adjustments to any of the other ingredients? Since the Italian sausage would add a distinct “flavor”.
Chef Dennis Littley says
No, just leave the meat out.
Bob says
Do you crush the tomatoes (blend) and use directly leaving the seeds in or do you run it thru a strainer?
Chef Dennis Littley says
I buy San Marzano tomatoes and use an emulsion blender to puree them you can also just crush them by hand.
There is no need to strain canned tomatoes
Leo G. Leduc says
great recipe; simple to make and delicious
Chef Dennis Littley says
That’s what I like to hear!
Jennifer says
Just got back from Venice and Rome. This sauce is wonderful and tastes authentic. Thanks
Chef Dennis Littley says
Wow, that is high praise indeed! You made my day with your comment.
Jennifer W Constable says
If using calamari, when do you suggest adding it? Thank you, and happy holidays! -Jennifer
Chef Dennis Littley says
I would let it simmer in some of the sauce for 20-25 minutes. Rule of thumb with calamari is a quick cook (2 minutes) for fried, or 20-25 minutes for simmered. There’s a sweet spot where it becomes tender around 20 minutes before it starts to get tough.
Georgeanne Magruder says
Hi Chef Dennis,
My recipe is so like yours except I have always added chopped green pepper and red peppers. What difference would you suspect? Thanks so much!
Chef Dennis Littley says
If you like green peppers use them, but you would never find them in Italian spaghetti sauce.
Christina says
Chef, I can’t believe this is the first time I actually remembered to leave a review on your recipes. I love all of your recipes and this spaghetti sauce is one of them. It is 10 star. Plus it is so easy and so good. I use it for plain pasta,lasagna, baked ziti. I use it for everything. It’s I always have some in my freezer.
Chef Dennis Littley says
Thank you taking to time to leave a review Christina, and I’m very happy to hear you’ve been enjoying my spaghetti sauce recipe. I’ve been making it for a very long time.