Hearty, Delicious & Frugal Spaghetti Sauce

My family loves pasta! And spaghetti with homemade sauce is not only quick to prepare, hearty, and delicious, it is also one of the least expensive dinners you can make. Start with a 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes (I like Tuttorosso New World Style with basil, purchased during one of the periodic sales for 60 cents per can), a half can of water, a teaspoon of garlic powder, a tablespoon each of dried oregano, basil, and parsley (McCormick herbs purchased in the very large jars for a fraction of the cost per ounce of the small jars), and one pound of ground beef (on sale for 99 cents a pound). Add one pound of spaghetti, purchased on sale for 33 cents, and the entire cost of this dish is just over $2.00. Using the suggested serving size on the box of spaghetti, this dish will serve six to eight people, with each serving costing between 25 and 33 cents. Even adding a few cents more if you like parmesan cheese on top and factoring in more than one serving per person, this is still a very economical, nutritious, and tasty dinner.

Some hints… I always cook the ground meat separately, then drain it in a collander before adding it to the sauce. To make the sauce richer and more flavorful, I simmer the tomatoes, water, garlic, herbs, and ground meat for several minutes (until the sauce thickens). Personally, I don’t think there is anything less appetizing than a pile of plain spaghetti with spoonfuls of sauce sitting on top, so I always follow a tip from a famous chef and mix a small portion of the sauce with the spaghetti in the serving dish. Mixing with sauce this way gives every strand of spaghetti a nice coating of sauce and really adds to the flavor. Use the rest of the sauce to serve on top of the spaghetti. We like our spaghetti topped with parmesan cheese (purchased during periodic sales for $1.50 per jar).

Also try using whole wheat spaghetti and ground turkey. Both will raise the cost slightly but will also increase the nutritional value. Sometimes I saute onions and mushrooms with the ground meat, but the basic spaghetti sauce above is a big family favorite. We like this spaghetti served with homemade bread or rolls and a green salad.

So there you have it… hearty, delicious, AND frugal! And no additives, no preservatives, no extra fat, salt, sugar, or any of the other “extras” that come in the processed versions. Enjoy!

Filed Under Cooking & Baking from Scratch, Family Favorite Recipes, Frugality