a serving dish with spaghetti topped with Mariani Family’s Spaghetti Sauce

Mariani Family’s Spaghetti Sauce Recipe

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Rich, meaty and full of flavor, the Mariani family’s spaghetti sauce recipe has been passed down through generations. They shared their recipe so that your family can enjoy this authentic Italian recipe, too.

a pot of Mariani Family Spaghetti Sauce alongside a plate of pasta

A prune grower’s spaghetti sauce recipe

Lorena Mariani shared this family spaghetti sauce recipe alongside instructions for her holiday dried fruit house in a newspaper feature many years ago. The original made enough to feed a small village (or the whole Mariani clan), so we’ve updated portions to feed a small family, but we’ve kept all of the flavors from the Mariani Family tradition. 

The secret ingredient in this Spaghetti Sauce recipe is….

Lorena Mariani married into a family of prune growers, so it’s only natural that she uses plump, juicy California Prunes to thicken this meat sauce recipe. Most spaghetti sauce recipes call for a touch of sugar – tomatoes are acidic, so adding sugar creates a more balanced sauce. Adding prunes to this sauce was an ingenious move, it not only sweetens the sauce but also adds depth of flavor – enhancing the meaty deliciousness.

a pot of Mariani Family Spaghetti Sauce Lorena Mariani's Spaghetti Sauce is one of her family's favorite recipes.
a dish of pasta topped with Mariani Family Spaghetti Sauce

Worth the wait

Like every great sauce, there’s some patience required, but the wait is worth it–this spaghetti sauce is meaty, rich in flavor, with just a touch of sweetness from the prunes. Bonus: This recipe freezes beautifully.

a dish of pasta topped with Mariani Family Spaghetti Sauce

Mariani Family’s Spaghetti Sauce Recipe

Lorena Mariani shared this family spaghetti sauce recipe alongside instructions for her holiday dried fruit house in a newspaper feature many years ago. The original made enough to feed a small village (or the whole Mariani clan), so we’ve updated portions to feed a small family, but we’ve kept all of the flavors from the Mariani Family tradition. 
Like every great sauce, there’s some patience required, but the wait is worth it–this spaghetti sauce is meaty, rich in flavor, with just a touch of sweetness from the prunes. 
4.75 from 4 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 15 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 35 minutes
Course Dinner, Entree, Lunch
Cuisine Heritage Recipes, Holiday
Servings 10
Calories 534 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

  • 2 lbs ground chuck beef
  • 1 lb Italian sausage
  • ½ lb porcini mushrooms cleaned and sliced
  • 4 bunches green onions sliced (use the whole onions)
  • 56 ounces cans whole plum tomatoes crushed (2 large cans)
  • 1 ½ cups chicken or beef broth
  • 4-5 cloves garlic minced
  • ½ cup chopped Italian parsley plush more for garnish
  • 1 ½ tsp chopped fresh oregano
  • 1 tsp chopped fresh marjoram
  • 1 ½ tsp fresh thyme
  • 1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
  • 1 tsp allspice
  • ½ tsp ground celery seed
  • ½ tsp onion powder
  • ½ tsp grated nutmeg
  • 1 tsp fresh-cracked black pepper
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 5 ounce bourbon
  • ½ cup Riesling or half-sweet white wine
  • 8 pitted California prunes
  • Fresh-grated Parmesan cheese for garnish

Instructions
 

  • Warm a large skillet over medium heat, then add the ground beef and Italian sausage, breaking up large pieces. Once the fat from the meat starts to render, use a wooden spoon to stir and continue breaking apart any larger clumps. Add in the mushrooms and scrape the pan. When the meat is mostly browned, stir in the green onions and continue cooking until thoroughly wilted. Drain off most of the grease and set the meat and mushroom mixture aside.
  • In a large Dutch oven or sauce pot, add the tomatoes with their liquid, chicken or beef broth, minced garlic, parsley, chopped herbs, spices, and bay leaves. Crush the tomatoes to break them apart, then stir in the reserved meat, mushrooms, and cooked onions.
  • Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Stir in the bourbon, white wine, and prunes, then lower the heat to a low simmer and cook, uncovered, for 2 hours, stirring occasionally and adjusting seasoning to taste.

Video

Notes

Definitely try the Mariani Family’s Ideas for Gingerbread House Decorating with California dried fruits & nuts too!

Nutrition

Calories: 534kcalCarbohydrates: 28gProtein: 26gFat: 33gSaturated Fat: 12gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 99mgSodium: 538mgPotassium: 1040mgFiber: 5gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 1096IUVitamin C: 19mgCalcium: 63mgIron: 4mg
Keyword ground beef, italian sausage, lorena, mariani, spaghetti sauce
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About the Mariani Family

The Mariani family has grown prunes since 1906. For the last four generations, they’ve lovingly tended to their trees and are passionate about educating others about the delicious taste and health benefits of prunes.

Learn more about the Mariani Family
George Souza Jr, President of Mariani Family with Natalie Mariani Kling, Director of Strategic Marketing walking through their Yuba City Prune Orchard August 2022 Photography by Hilary Rance for California Prunes

More family recipes from California Prunes Growers:

Once you’ve mastered the Mariani family’s spaghetti sauce (or while it’s cooking!) try these recipes from our growers:

Cooling rack with Chewy Oatmeal Cookies with Chocolate and Chopped Prunes. This riff on our Chewy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies is inspired by one of our growers, who swaps the puree for chopped prunes, and uses dark honey from his own hives to give these an even richer flavor.

Old-Fashioned Oatmeal Cookies

Our Old-Fashioned Oatmeal Cookies are inspired by one of our growers, Matt Bozzo. Matt’s recipe swaps the prune puree for chopped prunes, and opts for dark honey to impart an even richer flavor to these craveworthy cookies.

two slices of old fashioned prune cake

Old-Fashioned Prune Cake

What’s a prune grower’s favorite way to enjoy prunes? Well, if you ask the Mitchell family, it’s this Old-Fashioned Prune Cake. A soft, prune-studded spice cake is covered in a buttery-sweet glaze that has everyone going back for another slice (or two.)

A large cupcake tin with Morning Muffins - a heritage recipe from a California Prune Grower

Old Fashioned Morning Muffins

Prune grower Ranvir Singh has fond memories of his grandmother’s top secret prune + bran muffins. These Old Fashioned Morning Muffins are our take on the Singh family’s recipe.

a loaf of Columba Pasquale from the Loquaci Family

Columba Pasquale

The Loquaci family shared their recipe for Columba Pasquale, a traditional Italian bread served at Easter time. Bonus: It’s gluten-free, so everyone can enjoy a slice!

Did you try this recipe? Maybe you’ve got a favorite recipe using California Prunes that you’d like to share with us? Snap a pic and share it on social using #caprunes.

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