Spaghetti with meat sauce is the perfect weeknight dinner! My meat sauce recipe packs a punch of flavor and even freezes well for future meals. Recipe includes a how-to video!
1cup(140g)finely chopped yellow onion(about 1 medium onion)
2Tablespoonsminced garlic
1lb(453g)ground beef85 or 90% (may substitute bulk Italian sausage, sweet or spicy)
¾teaspoonfine sea salt
¼teaspooncracked pepper
⅛teaspooncrushed red pepper
2Tablespoonstomato paste
1Tablespoongranulated sugar
⅓cup(78ml)dry red wine(or substitute chicken, beef, or vegetable broth or stock)
¼cup(60ml)water
28oz(794g)canned whole peeled tomatoes
2teaspoonsdried basil or 10 torn basil leaves
1teaspoondried parsley
½teaspoondried oregano
1dried bay leaf
8-12oz(226-340g)pastafor serving - I like spaghetti
Instructions
Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat.
2 Tablespoons olive oil
Once shimmering, add onion and cook until softened (about 3 minutes).
1 cup finely chopped yellow onion
Add garlic and cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds).
2 Tablespoons minced garlic
Add ground beef and sprinkle the salt, black pepper, and crushed pepper overtop. Cook, crumbling, until meat is browned. Drain excess grease if/as needed.
1 lb ground beef, ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt, ¼ teaspoon cracked pepper, ⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper
Add tomato paste and sugar to the pan and cook, stirring near-constantly until tomato paste is browned/caramelized (about 1-2 minutes).
Drizzle red wine into the pan, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen any browned bits. Cook until the wine is reduced by about half and you can no longer smell the alcohol so strongly (about 3-5 minutes).
⅓ cup dry red wine
Add water and tomatoes, breaking/crushing the tomatoes with a wooden spoon or metal spatula as you cook.
¼ cup water, 28 oz canned whole peeled tomatoes
Add basil, parsley, and oregano and bay leaf and stir until combined and bay leaf is submerged. Simmer at least 30 minutes with an offset lid, stirring occasionally.
2 teaspoons dried basil or 10 torn basil leaves, 1 teaspoon dried parsley, ½ teaspoon dried oregano, 1 dried bay leaf
If serving with pasta, begin cooking pasta according to package instructions while the sauce is simmering. You can serve the meat sauce over the portioned pasta or combine the two together before serving. If mixing together, reserve ¼ cup pasta water then drain remaining water from the pasta. Add pasta to meat sauce along with a splash of pasta reserved pasta water, stir well, and simmer until sauce clings to noodles (just several minutes).
8-12 oz pasta
Serve, topped with parmesan cheese if desired.
Video
Notes
Storing
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. This dish also freezes well for several months (best to freeze without pasta).