Hearty Italian Meat Sauce

This is another recipe that has been with me for about as long as I’ve been cooking. It’s a favorite around here, and makes it onto our dinner table frequently. I usually serve it on top of spaghetti, rigatoni, or medium size pasta shells, but you can serve it with your favorite type of pasta. A word of caution, however – this is a heavy sauce, so it isn’t recommended for especially delicate pastas such as Angel Hair. Just add a tossed or Caesar salad and a slice of garlic toast and enjoy Italian eating at it’s best!

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1/3 c. chopped onion

1/3 c. sliced carrot

1/3 c. chopped celery

1 clove garlic, minced

3/4 lb. extra lean ground beef

1 can (19 oz.) crushed tomatoes

1 can (5 oz) tomato paste

2 tbsp. dried basil

2 tsp. dried oregano

pinch of pepper

Heat oil in an electric skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté onion, carrot, celery, and garlic until crisp, but tender.

Add beef to skillet and increase temperature to high. Cook until beef is no longer pink, using a fork to crumble meat into small pieces. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, oregano, and a pinch of pepper. Bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 – 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Makes 4 cups.

Microwave Cooking Method:

Combine onion, carrot, celery, garlic, and oil in a microwavable bowl. Cover and microwave 3 to 5 minutes on high or til crisp, but tender, stirring once. Stir in beef. Cover and microwave on high for 5 minutes or til no longer pink, stirring to break up meat. Drain fat from dish. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, oregano, and a pinch of pepper. Cover and microwave on high 10 to 15 minutes or til sauce has thickened, stirring 2 times. Makes 4 cups.

Notes Added 1/22/2022

I have found after years upon years of making this recipe that sometimes I prefer to wing the ratios on the oregano and basil. Overall I feel the flavor is better with this sauce if I go heavier on the basil and a lot lighter on the oregano.

Also, I like to add a bit of either grape juice or left over red wine – even very cheap red wine! This adds some extra flavor and a bit of kick flavor – wise. I have another recipe hidden away somewhere that was less hearty – just meat sauce without the vegetables – and that recipe called for adding grape juice. The flavor it added was really nice, so now I sometimes play around with adding some to this recipe – just wing it – throw in a splash or a full 1/4 cup.

A pinch of nutmeg is also a trick I picked up somewhere along the way to liven up a meat sauce.