So-Easy Spaghetti Sauce

Total Time

Prep: 30 min. Cook: 5 hours

Makes

about 2-1/4 quarts

Updated: Sep. 30, 2022
This traditional, thick pasta sauce is a cinch to prepare. It has a pleasantly mild flavor and goes with any kind of cooked pasta. If you like, use ground turkey or chicken instead of the beef.—Cathy Johnson, Somerset, Pennsylvania
So-Easy Spaghetti Sauce Recipe photo by Taste of Home

Ingredients

  • 1 pound lean ground beef (90% lean)
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped celery
  • 1 can (29 ounces) tomato sauce
  • 2-1/2 cups tomato juice
  • 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 1 can (12 ounces) tomato paste
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 4 bay leaves
  • Hot cooked spaghetti
  • Grated Parmesan cheese, optional

Directions

  1. In a large skillet, cook the beef, onion and celery over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. In a 4- or 5-qt. slow cooker, combine the tomato sauce, tomato juice, tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, seasonings and beef mixture.
  2. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours or until heated through. Discard bay leaves. Serve with spaghetti; sprinkle with cheese if desired.

Nutrition Facts

3/4 cup: 125 calories, 3g fat (1g saturated fat), 19mg cholesterol, 744mg sodium, 16g carbohydrate (10g sugars, 4g fiber), 10g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 1 lean meat, 1 vegetable, 1/2 starch, 1/2 fat.