How to Make Spaghetti Sauce Thicker – Mom’s Classic Recipe

Last Updated on April 22, 2026 by Kimberly

My mom has the best spaghetti sauce recipe with the perfect texture.  She would often be requested to make this great sauce for special family gatherings. Many home cooks would like to make homemade spaghetti sauce, but end up with a thin, watery sauce. How to make spaghetti sauce thicker? My mom puts the sauce on high heat, lets it come to a boil, turns off the heat, and lets it simmer for at least three hours. The good news is that this sauce is easy to make, and the homemade flavor is better than any store-bought sauce!

Why You’ll Love This Spaghetti Sauce

Short Ingredient List – The ingredient list is short for this recipe. You most likely have most of the ingredients in your pantry already.

Thick Style Sauce – The little bit of tomato paste and cooking method used for this easy spaghetti sauce makes a nice thick sauce.

Slow cooker friendly – On busy days, you can start this recipe on the stove and put it in the crockpot on low to simmer for hours. 

Perfect for weeknights – This is the perfect make-and-forget-it meal. You can start this sauce in the morning and put it in the crock pot.

Ingredients for Mom’s Classic Spaghetti Sauce

• Olive Oil – I like using extra virgin olive oil for this recipe. The first step is sauteing diced onion and garlic cloves in olive oil to give the sauce it’s distinctive taste. 
• Diced onion and garlic cloves – These are the aromatics for this dish. 
• Tomato Juice – Tomato juice is an easy staple to have on hand. I keep a bottle in my pantry at all times so I can whip up spaghetti sauce anytime. I also use tomato juice in my Amish Vegetable Beef Soup Recipe. Tomato juice makes a smooth sauce. If you like a smoother texture for your spaghetti sauce, this recipe is for you. 
• Salt  – I like to use Redmond Real Salt in my cooking. 
• Sugar – Sugar is necessary to cut the acidity of the tomato juice. I like to use organic sugar from Costco. 
• Pepper – Pepper is a necessary ingredient in every dish. 
• Italian Seasoning – Buying Italian seasoning makes it simple to create Italian inspired dishes. You can substitute this for basil and oregano. 
• Tomato paste – How to make spaghetti sauce thicker? Use tomato paste! This simple trick will make your sauce so much better!
• Bay leaves – These aromatic leaves add a distinctive depth to the sauce.

How to Make Spaghetti Sauce Thicker

Cover the sauce with a lid and bring to a boil. 

Letting the sauce come a to a boil is a necessary step in making thicker sauce. 

Let pasta sauce simmer for three hours on low heat. 

A long cooking time is an important step in how to make spaghetti sauce thicker. Plus, letting it simmer for three hours gives time for all the delicious flavors to mingle. 

Mom’s Spaghetti Sauce

Mom's Spaghetti Sauce is my mom's version of a classic Italian favorite. Onions, garlic, spices, tomato juice and tomato paste all blend together to create a beautiful thick sauce.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 3 hours hrs

Course Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Servings 10

Ingredients

  

• 3 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
• 3/4 cup onion diced
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 12 oz. tomato paste
• 46 oz. tomato juice
• 5 tsp sugar
• 2 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 lb ground beef or meatballs
• 12 oz angel hair pasta

Instructions

 

• Heat olive oil on stove on medium heat.
• Add diced onion and sauté for 2 minutes. Add minced garlic and sauté 2 minutes more.
• Pour in 46 oz. container of tomato juice. Add in the cans of tomato past. Sprinkle in the sugar, salt, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, pepper, and bay leaves.
• Stir well, cover, and bring sauce to a low boil.
• Once sauce is boiling, turn heat to low, put the lid back on, and let simmer for 3 hours.
• Add ground beef or meatballs to the sauce 30 minutes before serving.
• Boil pasta according to package directions and serve with spaghetti sauce on top.
• If you make this recipe, please scroll to the comments and give it a rating. This helps my website so much!
When you simmer the sauce for 3 hours, you can put it in a crockpot on the low setting instead of leaving it on the stove.

How to Store and Reheat Mom’s Classic Spaghetti Sauce

Refrigerate – Let sauce come to room temperature. Place in an airtight container.  Store in refrigerator up to 5 days. 

Freeze – Let sauce come to room temperature. Place in a freezer safe container or a freezer bag. Store in the freezer for up to six months. Whenever I make spaghetti sauce, I double this recipe so I can put leftovers in the freezer. 

Reheating – Reheat in a saucepan on the stovetop on medium low heat. If sauce is frozen in a container, you can defrost a container of spaghetti sauce quickly in a pan of cold water. 

FAQ’s

Can I use fresh tomatoes for this spaghetti sauce?

Yes, you can make tomato juice from fresh tomatoes to use in this homemade sauce. One year, we had a lot of tomatoes in our garden, and I used them for spaghetti sauce. The fresh tomato flavor was so good!

Can I substitute garlic powder for the garlic cloves?

Yes, if you do not have any garlic cloves, you can substitute with garlic powder. I would add a teaspoon of garlic powder for the two garlic cloves. 

Can I make this easy spaghetti sauce ahead of time?

Yes, you can easily make this sauce ahead of time. Make sure to let it cook for three hours. Afterwards, let it cool to room temperature before storing in the freezer. 

What meat should I add to this sauce?

You can use either cooked ground beef, ground Italian sausage, or meatballs in this recipe. I usually choose to add cooked ground beef to my sauce.