Serve this with spaghetti, penne, ravioli, or in a pasta bake! And don’t forget a side of Garlic Bread with Cheese!
Meat Sauce
Nothing beats a hearty meat sauce that you can throw together with whatever meat, pasta, and veggies that you have on hand! This is one Italian feast that the family will always agree on, especially if a side of cheesy garlic bread is involved. 😉 This recipe is pretty classic in that it includes diced onions, peppers, garlic, and ground beef. Once the vegetables are softened and the meat is cooked, the pot is deglazed with red wine. From there, the base of the sauce is enhanced with tomato paste, seasonings, and some subtle flavor enhancers. Tomato sauce and diced tomatoes are the finishing touch before the sauce is left to simmer, reduce, and concentrate.
How to Make It
See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions. Soften the onions and cook/crumble the ground beef. Drain grease and add the garlic/bell peppers. Cook for 3 minutes, then deglaze the pot with red wine. Reduce for 5-6 minutes, then add the seasonings, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and sugar. Toss to coat. Add the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and bay leaves.
Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer. Cover partially and let the sauce simmer, reduce, and concentrate for 45 minutes, or until desired thickness/consistency is obtained. Serve with pasta of choice and garlic bread with cheese.
Meat Sauce vs. Bolognese
Meat sauce generally has more tomato sauce in it than Bolognese Sauce, which usually has just a touch. White wine and milk are also common ingredients in Bolognese sauce, which is also typically simmered slowly for a longer period of time. Bolognese sauce also starts off with a mirepoix, (onions/carrots/celery).
Adding Sugar to Pasta Sauce
Adding sugar to tomato based sauces can be controversial, but the sugar really can be that “it” factor that certain tomato based sauces need if the tomatoes aren’t naturally sweet enough. It also helps balance out the acidity. Feel free to start with 1 tbsp. of sugar in this recipe and add more after simmering if desired. This is very much a personal preference so go with your taste. Some people like to add up to 4 tablespoons, just be careful not to go overboard and add slowly. To add sugar into your sauce naturally: Consider caramelizing onions and carrots in the pot for up to 40 minutes first, then remove and use an immersion blender (or regular blender) to blend them into the crushed tomatoes. This is my favorite trick when making my tomato soup and tomato tortellini soup recipes.
A Great Bulk Recipe
This is a great recipe to make in bulk because it freezes and reheats so well for easy weekday meals. This makes about 9.5 cups of sauce, which can easily satisfy 3 pounds of pasta at approximately 25 oz. per pound. The number of servings are at the top of the recipe card in the middle. Hover over the servings and a slider will appear, which will allow you to adjust the number of servings up/down as needed. The ingredient quantities will automatically adjust.
Make-Ahead Method
Prepare the sauce as outlined and let it cool completely. Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for 3-4 months. Reheat in the microwave or over low heat on the stove top. If it’s frozen, de-thaw it overnight in the refrigerator first for best results.
What to Add to Meat Sauce
Diced carrots and celery make a great addition to the onions in this sauce, similarly to how you would start off Spaghetti Bolognese. Mushrooms also make a great addition to this sauce: I like to sauté them separately and add them to the sauce at the end, this allows them to release liquid, concentrate their flavor, and obtain a nice golden color and ideal texture. A combination of ground sausage, pork, and veal can be combined with the ground beef in this recipe. Up to 4 oz. of softened cream cheese is a really nice addition to this sauce, it balances everything out. Up to ¾ cup heavy cream can also be added.
Storage
Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. This meat sauce freezes really well. Reheat in the microwave or over low heat on the stove top. If it’s frozen, it de-thaw overnight first in the regrigerator for best results.
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Le Creuset 4.5 quart Dutch Oven– This is the one I use for this recipe, it’s the perfect size and it conducts heat really well. Measuring Spoons– I have these magnetic ones which stay nice and organized in my utensil drawer. Pinch Bowls– for measuring out seasonings ahead of time. Chefs Knife– I have this one. It’s affordable but high quality.
