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Great Grandma’s Pasta Sauce has been passed down through the generations and it originated from a friend’s Italian great great grandmother. It is the most delicious, rich, flavorful, pasta sauce I’ve ever had in my entire life and I can’t wait for you to try it!

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What makes great grandma’s pasta sauce so special?

My friend told me that for every Christmas and get together, his grandmother used to make her famous pasta dish.

It’s made with this homemade pasta sauce that simmers on the stove for hours.

This pasta sauce is like liquid gold.

It’s the most delicious, rich, flavorful, pasta sauce I’ve ever had in my entire life.

This pasta sauce was actually from his great grandmother who came over from Italy. YOU KNOW it’s good when it’s from a legit Italian. Not some Chef Boyardee character.

The secret to this sauce is the simmering process.

Low and slow, baby. That’s how all the flavors develop and marry one another in a sweet, luscious concoction.

If you want to taste what the Italians are so blessed with over in Italy, I suggest you give this pasta sauce a try. You won’t ever go back to your plain ‘ol marinara that you thought was good. This sauce here is genius.

And genuine.

Don’t hate on great grandma’s pasta sauce

As you can see in the comments section below, there was some haterade on this pasta sauce.

There is a multitude of ways to make pasta sauce. I am not claiming this is THE right and ONLY way to make it.

This is how his family makes it.

If this isn’t the way “your” Italian grandmother or mother or whatever makes it…please don’t yell at me and tell me so.

Recipes are passed down from generations for a reason.

Every recipe is different. Every recipe is modified for each family.

There no “right” way to make something. That is why recipes bring such joy in the kitchen; they can be changed up.

I’m bringing this up because of comments I’ve gotten about this recipe and thus have turned off commenting for that very reason.

This pasta sauce is so easy to make!

You literally need the most basic of ingredients:

  • Ground beef
  • Tomato puree
  • Garlic
  • Spices
  • Fresh basil
  • Water

Can I freeze this pasta sauce?

To be honest, I haven’t tried to freeze this before but I know others who have and it’s fine! I would put it in one of those plastic takeout containers and reheat on the stovetop (like defrost it then plop it into a saucepan).

Can this pasta sauce be made in the slow cooker?

Technically, yes, because the idea is to cook it low and slow. I haven’t done it myself but I know others have done it so I’d put it on low for 3-4 hours!

So many great recipes that you could use great grandma’s pasta sauce recipe in:

Grab the recipe for great grandma’s pasta sauce below and be prepared to get wrapped up in comfort!

Rate Print
4.63 from 97 votes

Great Grandma’s Pasta Sauce

By: Julie Chiou
If you want to taste what the Italians are so blessed with over in Italy, I suggest you give this pasta sauce a try. You won’t ever go back to your plain ‘ol marinara that you thought was good. This sauce here is beyond genuine and you will love it!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 6

Ingredients 

  • 5-6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 pound (454 g) 80/20 ground beef OR 90/10 ground beef
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 6 ounce (170 g) can tomato paste
  • 24 ounce (680 g) jar tomato puree
  • Pinch of dried oregano
  • Pinch of onion powder
  • Pinch of garlic powder
  • Handful of fresh basil, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 6 ounces (170 ml) water

Instructions 

  • In a large stockpot, saute garlic until soft and fragrant in 2 tablespoons of olive oil, about 2 minutes.
    5-6 cloves garlic
  • Add your meat in with the garlic and brown until meat has been thoroughly cooked through, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
    1 pound (454 g) 80/20 ground beef OR 90/10 ground beef, Salt and pepper
  • Pour in the tomato paste, tomato puree, and seasoning, including the fresh basil and sugar. Stir to mix well. With the 6 oz. can from the tomato paste, fill that with water and pour it in the stockpot as well.
    6 ounce (170 g) can tomato paste, 24 ounce (680 g) jar tomato puree, Pinch of dried oregano, Pinch of onion powder, Pinch of garlic powder, Handful of fresh basil, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, 6 ounces (170 ml) water
  • Let mixture simmer, uncovered, for 2 or more hours (the longer the better, but minimum 2 hours), stirring occasionally.
  • Serve hot over fresh pasta.

Notes

A lot of people have asked about freezing this. I have not personally done this myself but I believe if you freeze this in an airtight container or a jar, it will be ok for up to 2 months. Do not freeze it immediately after making it. You’ll want it to cool to room temperature before putting the jar or container in the freezer to prevent cracking.
On making this in the slow cooker: I’ve never made this in the slow cooker before, however, I believe it’s pretty do-able. This is what I would do: brown your meat, put it in the insert of the crockpot, then add all the other ingredients, stir, cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours or high for 1-2 hours.
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Nutrition

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 263kcal, Carbohydrates: 24g, Protein: 23g, Fat: 9g, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 15g
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This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition information can vary for a variety of reasons. For the most precise nutritional data use your preferred nutrition calculator based on the actual ingredients you used in the recipe.

The default measuring system for this website is US Customary. Unit conversions are provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. While we strive to provide accurate unit conversions, please be aware that there may be some discrepancies.

Photography by Jesse Reilly

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308 Comments

  1. Tobie R Lurie says:

    I stopped making pasta sauce when my sons grew up and moved out but your recipe sounds so easy that I will give it a try again. Thanks for posting!

    1. Julie Wampler says:

      yay!

  2. Kathy says:

    This is a damn good sauce also so easy!
    Thanks

  3. Jodi Bezy says:

    I made the Sauce Last night. Very Good, I added Hunts Roasted tomatoes 2 cans. Omiting the water..These are my go to tomatoes. Great Flavor.☺ Loved your Recipe, my Grandma taught me a right on. Ty.

    1. Julie Wampler says:

      Wonderful! Thank you

  4. Hannah says:

    My mom used to make a similar sauce. But don’t tell her because this one is way better! I’ve used it for spaghetti, baked ziti, lasagna and for macaroni goulash and it’s amazing In all the things!

    1. Julie Wampler says:

      Haha I won’t say a thing!

  5. Judith D Dixon says:

    ‘looks like a fabulous recipe!! ‘will make this soon…thank you!

  6. George Mattern says:

    Hello, I can tell you back in old Italy ground beef was not used. And I would question some of the spices used as well.

    1. Julie Wampler says:

      well, i don’t know what to tell you. it’s not like we can just call up his great grandmother and tell her some of my readers are questioning the authenticity of her recipe and for her to explain herself ? this was a recipe passed down from her and she was from ischia, italy.

  7. Nihkii says:

    Loved this! Thank you so much :) Was going to make spaghetti the other day and I opened my browser and it suggested a sauce from a renowned italian cook that was literally like tomato sauce and a onion you took out at the end. Someday I’ll try it (I love food that varies from family to family!!)but I’m so glad I went to my que board on pinterest and finally tried yours. I had a huge toddler mess to clean up after, so it was a huge success ;) it even worked well with my soupy diy puree ? Going to have to check out some more of your recipes now!

  8. Erin Williams says:

    This is deadset the best pasta sauce I have ever made, thank you for sharing! I didn’t have fresh basil so I used a pinch of dry and added 1/3 cup of fresh parsley at the beginning. I added a shredded carrot and shredded mushrooms at the 1 hour marking (hiding veggies!) and then browned some meatballs and put them in at the 2 hour mark for a further 20 minutes. My entire family was happy so this will be made again and again!! Thanks so much.

    1. Julie Wampler says:

      thank you so so much!!

  9. Patricia Roberts says:

    My mother inlaw use top make a sauce an she put a pork chop in it have you ever heard of this she passed away an no one can find recipe

    1. Julie Wampler says:

      Hi, I’m sorry, I haven’t heard of this recipe.

    2. Lauren says:

      my grandpa used to make his pork chops with a marinara sauce and add other ingredients to make it a sweet and sour sauce almost. If that sounds like her recipe I would be happy to share it.

  10. El Whitfield says:

    Hi Julie,
    I just wanted to say, I absolutely l loved your recipe! It was so tasty, thick and very saucy. My husband was our pasta cooker in our household, but since I have made your ‘Great Grandma’s Pasta Sauce’ (although I didn’t have can of tomato puree at the time of making the recipe, I used can of diced tomatoes instead) he conceded that it was amazing and I ruined his cooking :D.
    Keep up the amazing work! Ignore those negative people. They are certainly missing out.

    1. Julie Wampler says:

      Thank you so much!! This is so sweet and I love the story of you and your husband, haha!