Last updated: September 2023

The BEST marinara meat sauce for your pasta nights.

We have pasta for dinner at least once a week here (one of my most favorite comfort foods) and this sauce is just perfection for an easy and filling pasta dinner. With less than 10 ingredients, I feel like I can make this quickly, freeze ahead for busy weeks (I usually make a double batch to benefit future me in the kitchen), it can serve a lot of people, and my family loves it! This recipe is from my mom who made me this every time she visited me in college, and I’ve carried it with me to make for my own family now. Serve with your favorite pasta and an easy broccoli side and you have one of your new favorite dinners.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb ground beef (80/20 is what I use)

• 1/2 finely chopped yellow onion

• 1 large garlic clove, minced

• 24 oz marinara sauce

• 1 tsp Italian seasoning

• Salt & pepper to taste

• Freshly chopped basil and shredded parmesan to garnish (optional)

DIRECTIONS

• Add a dash of extra virgin olive oil to pan & sauté onions until slightly brown, then add minced garlic. Mix both and push to side of pan.

• Add beef & break it up, browning until cooked through.

• Mix with onions & garlic. Option here to drain grease (I do).

• Add marinara + seasonings and mix!

• Serve over your favorite bed of pasta!

NOTES

• Store in fridge for up to 4 days, freeze for about 2 months! I like to freeze in cubes (I linked the freezer cubes I like) to portion out. To thaw from frozen, keep in fridge overnight or defrost in microwave.

• Any brand of marinara sauce will work here. I like to go for the sauces that have good ingredients and less salt.

• Option to add fresh herbs like basil to the pasta sauce.

• You can serve this over pasta OR to keep it a little healthier, serve over some sauteed/grilled eggplant or cooked & shredded spaghetti squash.

• I like to add roasted cherry tomatoes to the sauce every now and then! I first half or quarter them, toss with olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and roast on 420F for about 30 minutes tossing halfway through.

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