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There’s nothing quite like the aroma of a homemade pasta sauce simmering on the stove. It’s a scent that brings warmth, comfort, and a sense of tradition into your kitchen. In this Traditional Homemade Italian Pasta Sauce recipe, we’re diving into a classic Italian dish that’s more than just a meal—it’s a celebration of simple, quality ingredients coming together to create something magical. Give this wonderful recipe a try!

What makes this pasta sauce recipe special is its blend of traditional Italian techniques with a touch of French culinary influence, creating a rich, flavorful sauce that stands out. The recipe uses fresh Roma tomatoes and salt pork for a depth of flavor, combined with a slow simmer to develop a robust, authentic taste.
It also emphasizes flexibility, offering tips for substitutions and variations, making it accessible for both experienced cooks and beginners. This balance of tradition and adaptability is what sets it apart.
If you are looking for different ways to use your tomatoes, check out this Rustic Tomato Soup recipe or this Salsa Recipe. Looking for some other Italian recipes? Look at this Italian Zucchini Casserole recipe or this Traditional Puttanesca Sauce with Linguine recipe.
🍅 Ingredients
Tomatoes are obviously the star of this Italian pasta sauce recipe, but there is much more to it.
- Roma tomatoes
- Onion
- Carrots
- Salt pork
- Butter
- Beef broth
- Ground pork
- Ground hamburger
- Flour
- Red wine
- Salt and pepper
- Spaghetti noodles
See the recipe card for quantities.
Choosing Tomatoes
I have used the canned variety of San Marzano in the wintertime with great success, but I prefer fresh tomatoes! Right now, where I live, it is tomato season, and we have tomatoes growing in our garden. I am going to use them.
I choose fresh and ripe tomatoes almost every time. The caveat is that the tomatoes should not be of the giant or huge variety. Medium-sized and plump tomatoes have worked well for me. If you are only growing Big Boy or Beef Steak tomatoes and want to make a really special sauce, I would maybe get some store-bought roma tomatoes or (even better) from the farmers market.
I guess what I am trying to get at is that there is a tad of an art to this. Romas and San Marzanos are great for sauces if you can get them fresh (and ripe) or if they are canned ones and you don’t have access to great fresh tomatoes.
If it is the middle of the Winter and your produce section isn’t looking great, I would almost prefer the canned ones. If it is Summer and I have some thick tomatoes that I know will be great, I will pick those.
Salt Pork
It is a pork belly product, so it is closely related to bacon. It is different, however:
- While salt pork is from the pork belly, it is more toward the end of the belly and is more fat than meat.
- It is never smoked like bacon is.
- It is cured in brine longer and with heavier flavors, so it is basically saltier.
It is great to have around and great for a big, hearty sauce like this. You could use bacon or pancetta in a pinch, but salt pork is the way to go. As a tip, you might find it in the frozen area of your store or ask the butcher.
Red Wine
A dry red wine should do. A Pinot Noir, Merlot, or Chianti will work well. As to the quality of the wine you use, I don’t know I would be spending too much on cooking wine.
There is something to be said about only cooking with wine you would drink, but there are many reasonably priced wines that are drinkable. Don’t overthink it.
🍲 Instructions
Render the fat from salt pork along with some butter. Add the veggies. After that cooks for a while, add flour, broth, and tomatoes. Cook for a good 90 minutes.
Add the browned ground meat and wine to the sauce and continue to simmer for an additional 90 minutes. Then, serve this delicious Italian pasta sauce on top of some spaghetti.




🤷 Substitutions and variations
There are plenty of ways to change this pasta sauce recipe up.
- Pasta – do you need to use Spaghetti noodles? No. Use whatever pasta you want. It will work.
- Wine – This can change the flavor a bit, but use a reasonably priced Pinot Noir, Merlot, or Chianti.
- Salt Pork – I call for salt pork, but you can use bacon or pancetta instead.
- Tomatoes – Canned tomatoes can work. I am not afraid to use them, but I always think it is special to use fresh tomatoes.
- Meat – I call for ground pork and beef. You can use one or the other, just double the amount.
This is a pretty forgiving recipe ripe for the opportunity to make it your own. If you are using Italian flavors, most often it should work out.
📦 Storage
I recommend using this sauce right away, but will last a few days in the fridge and it does freeze well. If you cover it and store it in the refrigerator, it should keep for three days. Use your common sense and just enjoy the flavors.
❓ FAQ
No. Marinara is a simple meatless sauce, but spaghetti sauce has meat in it and is simmered for a longer period of time.
Yes. Cover in an airtight container and freeze.
It is a pork belly product, so it is closely related to bacon. Salt pork is from the pork belly, but it is more toward the end of the belly than bacon and is more fat than meat. Also, it is never smoked like bacon is. It is cured in brine longer and with heavier flavors, so it is saltier.
📝 Tips and tricks
- Can’t find Salt Pork? Ask the butcher in your store or look in the frozen section. I find it in the frozen food aisles at my normal grocery store. If you still can’t find it, try pancetta or bacon.
- Don’t get too worked up about the kind of tomatoes. Some nice, ripe, fresh, and medium-sized tomatoes should do the trick. Roma and San Marzano are very popular in sauces, but I am not afraid of tomatoes that are a bit plumper. Canned San Marzano are also great!
- Chianti, Pinot Noir, or Merlot work great for the wine in this recipe. Buy stuff you would drink, but keep it on the more economical side of things.
- Freeze the sauce and keep it for leftovers or future meals. This is a great sauce for freezing.

🛠 Products used in this recipe
😋 Did you make this recipe?
Thank you so much for giving this recipe a try! I appreciate you allowing my recipe onto your grill and table. Could you do me a favor by leaving a review in the comments area below? This helps me know how I am doing and helps others decide if this is their recipe. Most of all, thanks for visiting Ramshackle Pantry!

Traditional Pasta Sauce Recipe with Spaghetti
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 hours
- Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: 7 servings 1x
- Category: Comfort Food
- Method: Simmer
- Cuisine: Italian
Description
This is a Traditional Pasta Sauce recipe that doesn’t pull any stops to bring you the most flavor you can get from this Italian classic. From fresh tomatoes to your plate, you are going to get some of the freshest and most delicious spaghetti with this recipe.
Ingredients
- 5 pounds of Roma (or similar) tomatoes, blanched, cored and peeled
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 cup chopped carrots
- 3 ounces salt pork
- 4 Tablespoons butter
- 1 quart beef broth
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1 pound ground hamburger 93%
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1 cup red wine
- Salt and pepper to taste (start off with a teaspoon each)
- 14 ounces spaghetti noodles
Instructions
- If needed, blanch and peel tomatoes
- Quarter and mash real well with potato masher
- Dice carrots, onion, and salt pork.
- Add butter and salt pork in large pots.
- Cook on medium-low for 5-10 minutes to melt butter and allow fat from salt pork to render
- Add carrots and onions and herbs
- Allow to cook until softened
- Add flour
- Stir in beef broth
- Add tomatoes
- Add garlic, salt, pepper
- Bring to boil and then simmer for 90 minutes
- At 90 minutes, brown and drain both ground meats
- Add meat and wine to sauce
- Allow to cook for 90 minutes
- Cook spaghetti per package and serve sauce over top
Notes
- Can’t find Salt Pork? Ask the butcher in your store or look in the frozen section. I find it in the frozen food aisles at my normal grocery store. If you still can’t find it, try pancetta or bacon.
- Don’t get too worked up about the kind of tomatoes. Some nice medium to medium-small sized tomatoes that are ripe and fresh should do the trick. Roma and San Marzano are very popular for sauces, but I am not afraid of tomatoes that are a little plumper
- Chianti, Pinot Noir, or Merlot work great for the wine in this recipe. Buy stuff you would drink, but keep it on the more economical side of things.
- Freeze the sauce and keep for leftovers or future meals. This is a great sauce for freezing.
Yum. I’ve had my first “pasta ascuitta” recipe from my Mum when I was 17. Meanwhile I lean more to the really traditional (and registered!) “Ragù bolognese” recipe (falsely labled “Spaghetti Bolognese” in Germany – while Italians eat them with Tagliatelle).
Have a try and add celeriac to it (about the same ratio as the carrots)! And yes, the final “secret” ingredient, the way Italians prepare the noodles (to keep’m starchy) and whisk them in the pan together with the ragout. That makes a ton of a difference in taste compared to the traditional un-italian serving with the sauce on top of post-cooking “washed” unsticky noodles. Guten Appetit :o)
… a minor detail, just for the records. If you use (peeled) canned tomatoes you’re fine, bc those are canned directly after being harvested and are fully ripe, so often even better as those you can buy “fresh” at a grocery store (especially if out of season). And those doesn’t need to be smashed (convinient, and less spoty at a chefs shirt) Btw, I brown the meat right in the beginning (right after softening the roughly sliced onions). All ingredients are melting together after a +3h cooking. And besides a few ad-hoc tasting attempts (and now put a cup of wine into the chef!”) it’s best to eat it the next day.
Degustibus non est disputandum ;o)
Hey, thanks for the comments! Totally get what you are saying about the canned tomatoes, but if I have fresh or the market has some beautiful ones… I will use em every time! If I am at the grocery store in January and see ‘fresh’ tomatoes, I will probably skip em.
I appreciate you taking the time to discuss.
This sauce sounds great! Regarding salt pork, first I have to say that most grocery stores don’t have actual butchers, so it’s hard to get very far that way often times. It’s always good to know of a good butcher shop. The one I frequent sells something they call “bacon ends” that I use for recipes calling for salt pork. I love’m.
This recipe takes a while, but it is sooo good.
I am 100percent Italian both parents We made sauce on Sunday with canned tomatoes but in the summer used fresh never put carrots or sugar ever Use a good brand of tomatoes and simmer for a long time I use fresh herbs and fatty ground beef with good parmesan cheese 🧀 makes a bit difference I also make my own pasta better than store bought easy also
I approve of ‘fatty beef’ 🙂