From-Scratch Pasta Sauce Is Good for More Than Just Pasta

You say “meal prep,” I picture soggy quinoa, five-day-old chicken breasts, and limp veggies. I’d rather cook most dishes after work as a way to wind down and eat fresh. But one recipe I do make in advance is homemade spaghetti sauce. It makes cooking throughout the week easier—because it’s good for a lot more than just spaghetti.

Think of it as a quiet luxury. A jar of store-bought sauce does the job, but a jar of homemade spaghetti sauce makes weeknight meals feel special. Pasta topped with a jar of Rao’s marinara? It’s good. That same pasta topped with homemade marinara sauce? Immaculate. Stashing a container in your fridge or freezer is a favor to your future self.

While many homemade pasta sauces require a laundry list of ingredients and hours of cooking, my go-to recipe opts for a pared-down approach and just 30 minutes of simmering. So while it does take more effort than popping open a jar, it’s a one-time investment that pays off in multiple ways, a gift that keeps on giving.

Here’s the gist: You’ll cook down onion and garlic in a generous amount of olive oil with a touch of red pepper flakes. Then add a whole can of tomato paste and sizzle until it darkens to a brick-red hue—a sign that the tomato has caramelized and its flavor has intensified. Throw in ground pork (though any ground meat would work, even plant-based meats and especially Italian sausage), followed by a can of crushed tomatoes and splash of water. Let simmer while you catch up on laundry or The Bear.

While two tomato products might seem redundant, the combination is crucial. It achieves a rich savoriness and a thick-but-not-too-thick texture that clings to pasta without weighing it down.

The resulting sauce is everything you love about classic tomato sauce, amped up with a freshness that just can’t be replicated on a mass scale. And the recipe makes a generous amount of sauce, so you can store it away for several uses throughout the week. You can even transfer the sauce into plastic baggies or quart containers and stash them in the freezer for several months, defrosting them in the fridge the night before your pasta party.

Tossing it on cooked pasta is a no brainer, but spooning it over chicken cutlets and topping them with sliced provolone instantly transforms them into prime comfort food. Layering it between no-boil lasagna sheets with shredded mozzarella makes for a quick dinner that goes from jar to oven in no time. For a quick veggie-packed meal, load it onto halved, hollowed out zucchini boats, top with dollops of ricotta, and bake until tender. With a jar of this sauce around, the possibilities are endless.