Spaghetti with Meat Sauce
Ingredients
Olive oil, for cooking
1 lb ground beef ( I use Schweid & Sons The Signature Blend)
1 lb Italian sausage ( I use Lottie's Calabrian ground pork sausage)
2 carrots, finely diced
1½ yellow onions, finely diced
2 celery stalks, finely diced
7–8 garlic cloves, minced
4 oz tomato paste
2 cups red wine (I use Cabernet Sauvignon)
¾ cup tomato sauce
2 (28 oz) cans whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand
1 cup water
¼ cup chopped fresh basil, plus more for topping
1½ tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Dried oregano, to taste
Trader Joe’s Italian Style Soffritto Seasoning Blend, to taste
Salt and black pepper, to taste
A splash of heavy cream
Butter, for finishing the pasta
1 lb bucatini or spaghetti
Reserved pasta water, as needed
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for topping
Directions
Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and let it sear undisturbed for about 3 minutes. Flip and let the other side brown, then break it up and cook through. Remove and set aside. Repeat with the Italian sausage.
Reduce the heat to medium. Add about 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the same pot, followed by a generous pinch of Italian soffritto seasoning, salt, and black pepper. Stir for about 30 seconds to bloom the seasonings.
Add the onions, carrots, and celery. Sauté for 5–6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds to 1 minute.
Make a little space in the pot and add the tomato paste. Let it cook for about 1 minute, then stir it into the vegetables.
Pour in the red wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Simmer until reduced by about half.
Return the beef and sausage to the pot. Add the hand-crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, basil, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Season with oregano, Italian soffritto seasoning, salt, and black pepper to taste. Stir until well combined, breaking up any remaining large pieces of tomato with your spoon.
Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Simmer gently for about 2 hours, or until the sauce reaches your desired thickness. Stir regularly, scraping the bottom to keep it from sticking.
Stir in a splash of heavy cream. Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed.
Cook the bucatini or spaghetti according to the package instructions. Reserve some pasta water before draining.
To finish each serving, add some meat sauce to a skillet over medium-low heat. Add the pasta, a splash of reserved pasta water, and a little butter. Toss until the sauce coats the noodles, adding more pasta water as needed.
Plate and top with more fresh basil and plenty of freshly grated Parmesan. Enjoy!
Directions
Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and let it sear undisturbed for about 3 minutes. Flip and let the other side brown, then break it up and cook through. Remove and set aside. Repeat with the Italian sausage.
Reduce the heat to medium. Add about 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the same pot, followed by a generous pinch of Italian soffritto seasoning, salt, and black pepper. Stir for about 30 seconds to bloom the seasonings.
Add the onions, carrots, and celery. Sauté for 5–6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds to 1 minute.
Make a little space in the pot and add the tomato paste. Let it cook for about 1 minute, then stir it into the vegetables.
Pour in the red wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Simmer until reduced by about half, roughly 4–6 minutes.
Return the beef and sausage to the pot. Add the hand-crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, basil, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Season with oregano, Italian soffritto seasoning, salt, and black pepper to taste. Stir until well combined, breaking up any remaining large pieces of tomato with your spoon.
Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Simmer gently for about 2 hours, or until the sauce reaches your desired thickness. Stir regularly, scraping the bottom to keep it from sticking.
Stir in a splash of heavy cream. Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed.
Cook the bucatini or spaghetti according to the package instructions. Reserve some pasta water before draining.
To finish each serving, add some meat sauce to a skillet over medium-low heat. Add the pasta, a splash of reserved pasta water, and a little butter. Toss until the sauce coats the noodles, adding more pasta water as needed.
Plate and top with more fresh basil and plenty of freshly grated Parmesan. Enjoy!
Comments