Slow Cooked Oven Baked Spaghetti Sauce

Rich and meaty, this recipe for Slow-Cooked Oven-Baked spaghetti sauce is almost hands free, and perfect on any macaroni.

3.75 from 27 votes

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 2

Total Time 2 15

Course Pasta, Sauces, Dressings & Condiments

Cuisine Italian

Servings quarts

2 pounds lean ground beef or turkey
1 - 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cups chopped onion about 1 large onion
4 cloves garlic thinly sliced
1 teaspoon each dried oregano and thyme or 2 teaspoons Italian seasonings
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 6-ounce can tomato paste
6 ounces dry red wine measure with the tomato paste can
1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes in sauce (I like to use Italian tomatoes)
2 15-ounce cans tomato sauce
2 dried bay leaves torn in half
6 fresh basil leaves torn, or ½ teaspoon dried (although to be honest, I don't think dried adds much in flavor, so you could omit if you don't have fresh)
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley same as with the basil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
A pinch of sugar if needed (I find most of the time I don't need to add sugar, but sometimes I do, so taste and add if it seems highly acidic or sour )

Heat the oven to 300°F.
Heat a little olive oil in a Dutch oven, or other pot with a lid, over medium heat, add the ground meat and cook, stirring to break it apart until it is no longer pink; drain into a sieve. Set - aside.
In the same pot, heat about 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil over medium heat; add the onions and sauté for about 3 - 4 minutes or until translucent (do not brown, if they begin to brown, reduce the heat); add the garlic slices along with the oregano, thyme, and red pepper flakes; sauté for 1 - 2 minutes, then add the tomato paste. Stir and cook the tomato paste for about 3 minutes, then add the wine; mix well. Add the whole tomatoes breaking them apart with the spoon; then add the tomato sauce, reserved drained meat, dried bay leaf, basil leaves, parsley, and some salt and pepper. Stir well, bring to a simmer, cover then transfer to the oven and bake for 2 to 2 ½ hours. Remove the pot from the oven, taste and adjust seasonings; adding a pinch of sugar if needed. Serve over your favorite pasta.

LindySez: If you want to cook the sauce all day, set the oven to 225°F and slow-cook for 6 - 8 hours. Quicker? 325 - 350°F for 1 to 1 ½ hours.

Keyword oven sauce, slow-cooked sauce

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!