All of the products linked in this post are ones I personally use and love. As an Amazon Associate, I get paid when you buy something through one of my links. Please see my full disclosure policy for details.
This spaghetti sauce tastes like you spent all day making it, with all those secret ingredients and steps that make it taste like you spent all day in the kitchen. But you only spent 30 minutes making it. There are just a few steps to getting that cooked-all-day, mouth-watering flavor. There are many ways to make it. You can use Italian sausage to make a meat sauce, marinara sauce, or mushrooms to make a filling vegetarian sauce.
Ok… let’s start with the obvious. When there are tasty sauces in jars at the store, WHY make your own spaghetti sauce? It seems like the lazy way to do things to just… *add to cart* Literally. Alright, I do buy sauce sometimes. Often, actually! However, I love the taste of homemade sauce, and how easy it is.
It’s super. duper. cheap. I try to buy sauce in jars when they are on sale, but this is still a lot cheaper! The ingredients are easy, and they make a lot of sauce that I freeze.
It’s easy and fast. Really! 30 minutes! Use the sloth shortcuts for a fast, weeknight meal.
Last but not least, a great spaghetti sauce can turn a simple meal of pasta and sauce into a delicious one.
Now, how do you make very tasty spaghetti sauce without having to cook it all day? The ingredients are easy, and there’s just one step you need to do.
The flavors have had a lot of time to develop, get rich, and get to know each other. This is why sauces that have been cooking all day taste so good. In order to get all that flavor, you can also use more heat to make a lot of flavor.
Time for a Sloth Science moment. When food is cooked at high temperatures, a chemical reaction called browning happens. This changes sugars and proteins into ALL kinds of new flavor molecules! This is why the browned part of your grilled chicken tastes so good! Or why crispy, oven roasted broccoli is SO much more exciting that steamed broccoli). We don’t want to burn it (that would make it too brown), but high heat will bring out new, tasty flavors that low heat can’t. One important thing is to brown the food a lot, and another is to make sure that all the tasty flavor doesn’t stick to the pan. Here’s how:
Cooking Italian sausage whole in spaghetti sauce may seem unusual, but it’s a fantastic technique for infusing the sauce with tons of flavor. By simmering the sausages much longer than needed just to cook them through, they impart their savory, meaty taste into the sauce. The texture also transforms from just another protein to something akin to tender, flavor-packed meatballs.
This method does require some patience since the sausage needs to cook for 90 minutes or more. But the payoff is a rich, deeply flavored sauce that tastes like it simmered all day. I’ve made this technique many times, and my family and friends rave about the sauce every time. So let me walk you through the incredibly simple steps to take ordinary jarred sauce to extraordinary levels of flavor with this clever sausage technique.
Why Cook Sausage Whole in Sauce?
There are a couple main reasons to cook Italian sausage whole in spaghetti sauce rather than browning it first:
-
Maximum flavor infusion By simmering the sausages in the sauce instead of just adding already cooked sausage, they impart much more flavor. The sausage gives up its savory, fennel and garlic notes directly into the surrounding sauce.
-
Tender, juicy sausage. Long braising transforms the texture of the sausage from just another topping to succulent, almost meatball-like bits of flavor. The sausage gets incredibly tender within the sauce.
-
Easyweeknight meal. Simply boil the pasta while the sauce simmers away. No need to dirty extra pans or spend time pre-cooking the sausage.
So while it’s an unorthodox technique, cooking the sausage whole in the sauce gives you a much more flavorful meal with hardly any extra effort. Keep reading for my full step-by-step method!
Step-by-Step Instructions
To unlock the flavor potential of Italian sausage in your sauce, follow these simple steps:
Prep the Sausage
-
Purchase mild or hot Italian sausage links. Check that they have enough fat marbling through the casings. This helps them get tender and impart flavor.
-
Add a tablespoon of olive oil to a large saucepan over medium heat.
-
Add the sausages and brown them on both sides until just cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Don’t fully cook them.
-
Transfer the sausages to a plate to cool completely. This helps them hold their shape when added back to the sauce.
Build the Sauce Base
-
Pour 1/4 cup white wine into the pan you browned the sausage in. Scrape up any browned bits stuck to the bottom.
-
Let the wine simmer until reduced by half, 1-2 minutes. This deglazes all the flavorful fond.
-
Add your jar of marinara sauce and 1 1/2 cups water. Simmer gently.
Simmer the Sausage in Sauce
-
Slice each cooled sausage into 4 chunks.
-
Add the sausage chunks and any accumulated juices to the simmering sauce.
-
Adjust heat to maintain a steady gentle simmer. Cook for 60-90 minutes, until sauce is thickened and enriched.
-
Stir occasionally and skim excess oil/grease from the surface halfway through.
Finish the Dish
-
Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain.
-
Add cooked pasta to the sauce and let sit 1 minute to absorb flavor.
-
Serve pasta coated in the rich sauce and topped with the tender sausage chunks. Garnish with grated Parm and chopped parsley.
It’s that easy! The sauce gets incredible depth of flavor from the sausage, with no extra work on your part. Let those links simmer away and transform your weeknight pasta dinner.
Tips for Success
Here are some additional tips to ensure your sausage-infused spaghetti sauce turns out perfect:
-
Use a thick, sturdy pasta like bucatini or rigatoni to stand up to the hearty sauce.
-
Sprinkle in some red pepper flakes for a little heat if using mild sausage.
-
For a meatless sauce, omit the sausage and add mushrooms, zucchini or eggplant.
-
If the sauce gets too thick, splash in a little pasta water or white wine to loosen.
-
For even more richness, stir in a pat of butter or drizzle of olive oil before serving.
-
Grate Parm, Romano or Asiago cheese over each serving for a savory finish.
How Long to Cook Sausage in Sauce
The most important part of this method is allowing the sausage ample time to simmer in the sauce and impart its flavor. But exactly how long does it need?
Here are general sausage simmering guidelines:
-
For mild flavor infusion, simmer 45-60 minutes.
-
For medium flavor infusion, simmer 60-90 minutes.
-
For maximum flavor infusion, simmer 90-120 minutes.
I recommend going for the maximum infusion to get the biggest flavor payoff. Yes, it requires patience, but the difference is very noticeable.
Remember to stir occasionally and lower heat as needed to maintain a gentle simmer. You want the sauce bubbling lazily, not a rolling boil.
Sausage Selection for Spaghetti
While any Italian sausage will work, here are some of my favorites:
-
Mild – Nice balance of savory pork and warm spices like fennel and garlic.
-
Hot – Spicy kick pairs nicely with creamy sauce.
-
Chicken sausage – Lighter flavor if you want less pork.
-
Turkey sausage – Even leaner, but still meaty and flavorful.
No matter what type you use, go for sausages with a good amount of fat marbling. This renders into the sauce for richness and moisture.
What to Serve with Sausage Spaghetti
Some tasty sides that pair wonderfully with sausage-studded spaghetti include:
-
Garlic bread – Classic accompaniment to soak up the sauce.
-
Meatballs – For even more richness and meatiness.
-
Sauteed spinach – Bright, fresh contrast to the hearty pasta.
-
Caesar salad – Cool, creamy crunch.
-
Bruschetta – Fresh tomatoes, basil and garlic on toast.
-
Wine – Chianti, Valpolicella or Montepulciano.
With a bottle of red wine, crusty bread, and a simple green salad, you have an easy, satisfying Italian-inspired feast!
Common Questions
Should I prick the sausages before simmering?
There’s no need to prick or poke holes in the sausages before adding them to the sauce. As they cook, the heat will naturally cause them to swell and open up to allow flavors to escape.
Can I use pre-cooked sausage?
You can use pre-cooked sausage, but the flavor infusion won’t be nearly as intense. For the best results, start with raw sausage.
Is it okay if my sauce breaks from the sausage fat?
Don’t worry if your sauce ends up looking slightly broken or curdled after cooking the sausage. Simply use an immersion blender or regular countertop blender to emulsify the sauce until smooth again before serving.
The Takeaway
Simmering whole Italian sausage links in your spaghetti sauce may seem unconventional, but it takes the flavor to the next level compared to just browning them as a topping. Allow those sausages at least 90 minutes immersed in the sauce for maximum infusion. The payoff is a rich, meaty sauce with succulent, juicy sausage bits throughout. It tastes like it simmered all day, but only requires about 30 minutes of hands-on time. For your next weeknight pasta dinner, give this simple sausage technique a try and taste the difference!
k
Onion, Garlic, and Spices
Lower the heat to a very low level and add the chopped onion, dried basil, dried oregano, salt, and pepper. Do not add any fresh herbs until the very end. It smells great and tastes great! Lower the heat because garlic burns easily and tastes bad when it’s too hot.
It’s time for the magic step! These tomatoes need to be heated up and browned so that the tomato sauce doesn’t taste like it came from a can. They’ll taste like the cooked in a sauce all day long.
Add the crushed tomatoes and tomato paste to the pan and turn the heat back to medium high. It will quickly pop and splash, so put something over that hot pan! Why do tomatoes pop so much? Don’t wear a white shirt when you do this.
It will sound like a battle is going on in the pan. You’ll want to take the lid off the see if everything is burnt to a crisp. You’ll want to turn the heat down to low. You might want to leave! Let it pop and splatter (covered!) for four to five minutes, and THEN check it. First, take that pan off the heat and then open it up so sauce doesn’t splash all over you.
Some of it should be browning (sticking) to the bottom of the pan. If it seems like it’s browning too much, turn down the heat to medium. Cover the pan, put it back on the heat, and let it cook 5 more minutes covered completely.
Note: If you don’t have any crushed tomatoes on hand, you can use diced or whole tomatoes from a can instead. Just drain the liquid (save it!) and add the solid tomatoes in this step. You’ll add the liquid in the next step. Make sure to drain the tomatoes though, or they won’t brown, swimming in all that liquid.
Wax on, wax off. We now have all that good, browned stuff stuck to the pan, where all the flavor lives. To deglaze the pan, all we have to do is add something that will get all that good stuff off of it. Good things to use to deglaze a pan are wine, vinegar, or water. Here, we’re going to use wine.
Off the heat, add the wine to the pan. With a spatula, scrape and stir the pan’s bottom to bring up all of that browned good taste. You shouldn’t need to scrap much- it should come up easily. Return to medium or medium-high heat, cover with the lid cracked, and let everything simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir and scrape any brown bits on the bottom of the pan.
You could taste it now and say it tastes pretty good, but like it’s missing some important parts. It needs something sweet, so add the honey (you can also use white or brown sugar), the fresh basil if you’re using it, and more salt, garlic powder, or basil if you want. It will depend on how strong your herbs are. Finally, finish it off with a drizzle of olive oil! Yummm.
Serve up your spaghetti sauce with italian sausage on top of spaghetti (all covered with cheese!), or for a healthy version- some zoodles! (make them with a spiralizer like this!)
Marinara Sauce – make it without the Italian sausage. Start with step 2, by sautéing the garlic and onions in some olive oil. Sometimes I put this on top of chicken parmesan or serve it with meatballs. Other times I dip frozen mozzarella sticks in it. I usually have some of this in the freezer as well as the Italian sausage version!.
Instead of sausage in the first step, chop up mushrooms and zucchini to make a hearty vegetarian sauce that doesn’t have any meat in it.
Sloth Shortcut #1: To get that rich, cooked all day sauce taste, but in 30 minutes (!), use this high heat method- get those tomatoes nice and browned, add the wine to deglaze the pan, and get all that good stuff to make a sauce your people will think you spent all day in the kitchen making!.
Sloth Shortcut #2: Use what you have! No crushed tomatoes, but you have canned diced tomatoes? Or canned whole tomatoes? Great! See recipe notes to adapt. No fresh garlic or basil? Totally fine! Use garlic powder and dried basil.
Sloth Shortcut #3: If you’re going to make this, you might as well make extra to freeze! It’s not much hard to make a big batch, and it freezes so well. Never worry that you’re out of jars of spaghetti sauce for dinner again!.
Brown the Italian Sausage
Sauté the sausage (or ground beef, or mushrooms) in a large stainless steel pan– not a nonstick pan, because we actually DO want it to stick… a little bit. Let it brown- cook it at a high enough temperature that there’s some browning on the bottom of the pan. That’s the good stuff- all kinds of flavor down there. You don’t want it all stuck to the bottom of the pan, but you want a little browning. When the meat is cooked, drain off the excess grease, but leave a little (about a tablespoon in the pan).