This delicious meatless pasta sauce is made primarily from tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, fresh herbs, and spices. Can be used in Spaghetti, Lasagna, Ziti, and more!

Hey cousins! As many of you know, I love spaghetti! I can eat it every darn day, but only if I make it, because some people just don’t know how to make it right! I swear ain’t nothing worse than some boring spaghetti. Especially when you’ve been looking forward to having some all day. It reminds me of when I was a child. An adult family member had asked me what my favorite meal was, and I told them spaghetti. They promised to make me a plate of their “ famous” spaghetti when I would come over to their house the next time so I asked to spend the night the following weekend. My little greedy self was so excited to try this so-called “famous” spaghetti. Well, the weekend approached, and it was time to see what the hype was about.. I remember my Grandpa coming out of the kitchen before the family member served the spaghetti, and he said “ Baby, you’re not going to like the spaghetti. Just say that you’re not hungry, and I’ll buy you a happy meal later”. I was so confused on why he wanted me to lie. I really wanted to try the spaghetti. Until it was brought out to me. Y’ALL! My Grandpa knew that his grandchild, and her little smart mouth would’ve said something had he not prepared me. The “ famous” spaghetti was simply a plate of bland noodles, and jarred sauce on top! I remember politely saying “ no thank you”, and hoping that my Grandpa would really buy me a happy meal, because I was mad y’all! I did not want that watery bland spaghetti! LOL

Don’t be like my unidentified family member! Don’t ever serve boring spaghetti, or any pasta for that matter. In this post I’ll be sharing my secret homemade spaghetti sauce. This sauce is foolproof, so anyone can make it! It’s super flavorful, and you can use it for lasagna, spaghetti, stuffed shells, and more. Let’s get into the details!

Ingredients for flavorful meatless spaghetti sauce

Tomato Sauce: You can use your favorite brand, but to be honest I usually use a generic brand, or whatever is on sale at the time

Crushed Tomatoes: I just use regular crushed tomatoes in juice. I buy generic, or whatever is on sale just like the tomato sauce.

Diced Tomatoes: I use regular diced tomatoes. No need to buy the tomatoes with basil, or garlic because we will add those ingredients later

Herbs De Provence: I prefer herbs de provence over Italian Seasoning. However you can use Italian Seasoning instead if you choose.

Seasoning Salt: I only use Rosamae Seasonings, which is my brand. It’s a combination of salt, garlic, onion, thyme, and more herbs!

Sugar: I don’t use enough sugar to make it sweet, because we’re not making a dessert. I add just enough sugar to balance the flavors, and to bring down the acidity level down from the tomatoes

Ground Black Pepper: Adds a nice earthy, smoky undertone to the sauce.

Fresh Oregano: You just can’t make a homemade sauce without fresh oregano. Don’t skip this ingredient folks!

Fresh Basil: This is another ingredient that shouldn’t be left out. Fresh basil pairs so well with tomatoes, and definitely enhances this pasta sauce

Olive Oil: Needed to fry the onions, bell pepper, and garlic.

Yellow Onion: I love adding sweet yellow onions in my pasta sauce. They add another level of flavor to the sauce.

Green Bell Pepper: There’s something about fresh bell peppers in pasta sauce that I just love. Especially when they’re picked out of my garden ( which is one of the only things that I can actually grow).

Garlic: If it doesn’t have garlic, then I don’t want it! Garlic is a MUST for this recipe.

How to make meatless spaghetti sauce

Drizzle the olive oil into a large saucepan, and heat it up over medium heat.
Once the oil gets nice, and hot add in the diced onions, and bell pepper.
Cook the onions for about 3 – 5 minutes or until tender, then add in the garlic.
Cook the garlic, and onions for about two more minutes, then turn off the burner, and remove the pan from the heat.
Set the slow cooker on high, and add in crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, and tomato sauce.
Stir the tomato mixture then sprinkle in the seasoning salt, Herbs De Provence, fresh oregano, fresh basil, black pepper, and sugar.
Stir the ingredients until well combined, then place the lid on the slow cooker.
Let cook on high for 4 hours.
Use immediately, or freeze for later use.

What makes spaghetti sauce taste better?

Making a homemade spaghetti sauce will definitely taste better than store bought. And the right ingredients can definitely make spaghetti sauce taste better! Try stepping out of the box, and add a nice amount of fresh ingredients like bell peppers, freshly chopped garlic, and onions. Also don’t shy away from fresh herbs like basil, and oregano.

What is a secret ingredient for spaghetti?

My secret ingredient for my homemade spaghetti sauce is herbs de provence! Most people use Italian Seasoning, but I prefer this French blend. Perhaps it’s my Creole roots, but I can’t get enough of the stuff. The combination of savory, marjoram, rosemary, thyme, and oregano really jazzes up my spaghetti sauce beautifully

How to make if you do not have a slow cooker

If you do not have a slow cooker, you can make this recipe on your stove top. Simply use a large pot, and cook over low heat for 4 hours. Be sure to peak in, and occasionally stir to prevent the bottom from burning. If you don’t want to cook this meatless spaghetti sauce low, and slow you can cook it over medium heat for 1 hour. I highly recommend letting it slow cook! In my opinion, the sauce just taste a lot better after a low slow simmer!

How to store spaghetti sauce after making it

I almost always make large batches of this sauce, and freeze it for later use. I simply portion it out, and pour the sauce in freezer bags. I then label the freezer bags with the date made, then lay it flat in my deep freezer until I’m ready to use it. If I plan on using the sauce within a few days, I just store the sauce in a food storage container.

Dishes to incorporate this meatless spaghetti sauce in

What to serve with spaghetti

Whenever I make spaghetti, I like to serve it with simple sides such as a garden salad, and french bread/ or breadsticks.

Ready to make your own meatless spaghetti sauce? Watch this video tutorial, and be sure to print the recipe down below!

Homemade Meatless Spaghetti Sauce

This delicious meatless pasta sauce is made primarily from tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, fresh herbs, and spices

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15

Total Time 4 15

Servings

Ingredients

29 oz Tomato Sauce
28 oz Crushed Tomatoes
28 oz Diced Tomatoes
2 ½ tsp Herbs De Provence
3 ½ tsp Seasoning Salt
2 tsp Sugar
2 tsp Ground Black Pepper
2 tsp chopped Fresh Oregano leaves
3 tsp chopped Fresh Basil
3 tbsp Olive Oil
1 large Yellow Onion diced
1 large Green Bell Pepper diced
6 – 8 cloves Garlic minced

Instructions

Drizzle the olive oil into a large saucepan, and heat it up over medium heat.
Once the oil gets nice, and hot add in the diced onions, and bell pepper.
Cook the onions for about 3 – 5 minutes or until tender, then add in the garlic.
Cook the garlic, and onions for about two more minutes, then turn off the burner, and remove the pan from the heat.
Set the slow cooker on high, and add in crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, and tomato sauce.
Stir the tomato mixture then sprinkle in the seasoning salt, Herbs De Provence, fresh oregano, fresh basil, black pepper, and sugar.
Stir the ingredients until well combined, then place the lid on the slow cooker.
Let cook on high for 4 hours.
Use immediately, or freeze for later use.

Last Step! If you loved this recipe, leave me a review below. This helps future recipe makers and ensures continued high-quality recipes for years to come!

FOLLOW ALONG

Meatless Spaghetti Sauce