SPAGHETTI SAUCE (VandenPlas Family Recipe)

Spaghetti Sauce (VandenPlas Family Recipe)

Funny how a family can have two favorite spaghetti sauce recipes!  This is the famous VandenPlas Family Spaghetti Sauce recipe - VERY mild and delicious!

Without a lot of traditional Italian seasoning ingredients, I have never called this an Italian Spaghetti Sauce, but it is very good and a favorite of the family and those that don't care for a really spicy sauce. 

​If Skipper is making the sauce, this is the recipe that he uses and loves.  Family tradition is that anyone that finds a whole clove in their sauce has to do the dishes that night.  Family fun! 

Spaghetti Sauce (VandenPlas Family Recipe)

WHAT INGREDIENTS MAKE THIS THE BEST HOMEMADE SPAGHETTI SAUCE?

• Lean ground beef – I recommend 85% lean ground Angus beef.
• Salt and pepper – to season the beef and sauce and highlight its flavors.
• Onion and garlic – always use fresh - these build a flavor foundation for the sauce. 
• Tomato Paste – this adds lots of tomato flavor and helps thicken up the sauce. Make sure to use tomato paste - not tomato puree or sauce.
• Sugar - just a spoonful cuts the acidity of the tomato paste.
• Worcestershire sauce, cloves and a bay leaf – these are the secret ingredients and spices that make this homemade spaghetti sauce so special!

Spaghetti Sauce (VandenPlas Family Recipe)

Of all our family favorites, this is the dinner that is most often requested for birthday dinners.  And as a general rule, our little ones ALWAYS request that Grandpa make "his" spaghetti sauce for their special dinners.  He has a magic touch - and a  special spot in his heart for this recipe that his mother used to make for favorite family dinners.

Thanks to this easy homemade Spaghetti Sauce recipe, you'll now have no need to take the shortcut with a jar of store-bought spaghetti sauce.  This verision is so much better!  Made with hearty beef, tomato paste and simple ingredients, it's mild but packed with flavor and sure to please even the pickiest eaters!

Homemade Spaghetti Sauce (VandenPlas Family Recipe)

SPAGHETTI SAUCE SECRETS:

• Simmer sauce for several hours for the best flavor.
• Adjust consistency as desired:  While simmering, check consistency every now and then.  Thin with a little water as needed, or thicken with a little more tomato paste.  
• You can make this Spaghetti Sauce less meaty by cutting the beef portion in half.  You can also add other things like sauteed mushrooms if you'd like.
• This recipe is easily doubled!  
• This Spaghetti Sauce also freezes well - I usually keep a couple batches frozen to pull out for a fast family dinner or for when company stays for dinner - everyone loves this!

Homemade Spaghetti Sauce (VandenPlas Family Recipe)

SPAGHETTI SAUCE  (VANDENPLAS FAMILY RECIPE)

Funny how a family can have two favorite Italian spaghetti sauce recipes!  This is the famous VandenPlas Spaghetti Sauce recipe, very mild and delicious.  Family tradition is that whomever gets the whole cloves in their spaghetti gets to do the dishes!
​

Spaghetti Sauce (VandenPlas Family Recipe)

INGREDIENTS:
1-1/2 lbs. lean ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (12 oz.) tomato paste
1 can (12 oz.) water
3 or 4 whole cloves
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
salt & pepper, to taste
 
HOW PAPA V. MAKES THIS:

1. Brown ground beef in a large saucepan, drain excess oil; add onion and cook until tender; add garlic and continue cooking for two minutes. 
2. Add tomato paste and water, cloves and bay leaf; simmer over low heat for at least one hour, stirring occasionally. 
3. Add sugar and Worcestershire sauce; simmer over low heat for another half hour, stirring occasionally.  Taste test and adjust as necessary – additional sugar for sweeter, additional Worcestershire sauce for more savory, additional water for thinner sauce.
4. Add salt and pepper to taste and simmer low and slow for several hours!
5. Remove bay leaf and whole cloves before serving over hot spaghetti noodles.
6. Garnish with grated parmesan cheese.

 
YIELD:  6 generous servings
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RECIPE NOTES:

• Simmer sauce for several hours for the best flavor.
• Adjust consistency as desired:  While simmering, check consistency every now and then.  Thin with a little water as needed, or thicken with a little more tomato paste.  
• You can make this Spaghetti Sauce less meaty by cutting the beef portion in half.  You can also add other things like sauteed mushrooms if you'd like.
• This recipe is easily doubled!  
• This Spaghetti Sauce also freezes well - I usually keep a couple batches frozen to pull out for a fast family dinner or for when company stays for dinner - everyone loves this!

Originally posted July 2010; revised and reposted January 2021.
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