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Spaghetti with Meat Sauce
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Spaghetti with Meat Sauce

Recipes »  Main Dish  »  Pasta

A really easy and delicious all-purpose sauce for pasta and lasagna. The lengthy cooking time allows the rich flavors to really develop and gives the sauce its great flavor. The results are a thick, hearty and tasty spaghetti sauce with not much effort. It does take a little more time, but it's worth it.

"Great sauce! I didnt use cinnamon or carrotts also switched pork with Italian Sausage and cooked in a crock pot for 24 hrs.....I shared it at work and ran out supe fast...I am making it again this week but a double batch this time! " - Joekane80

Yield: 6 Ready in 45 minutes

Cuisine: AmericanMain Ingredient: Pasta

(4.4, 16) 93% would make again (reviews)

Favorite favorite of 829 people 348 people Try Soon want to try


Servings          
Original recipe makes 6
1/4 cupExtra Virgin Olive Oil
1 cuponion; finely chopped
1/4 cupcarrot; finely diced
2 large clovesgarlic; (or 3 small), minced
Kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper
1 poundlean ground beef; (preferably ground round)
1/2 poundlean ground pork; (or, additional ground beef)
1 tablespoonDried Oregano
1 teaspoonDried basil
1/4 teaspoonCrushed red pepper
1 can (6 oz)Tomato paste
1/4 cupDry Red Wine
1 28-oz cancrushed tomatoes
1 can (15 oz)Tomato sauce
1 tablespoonSugar
1/8 teaspoonground cinnamon; or to taste
3 tablespoonsParmesan cheese; freshly grated (plus additional for serving)
1 poundThin Spaghetti

Spaghetti with Meat Sauce Preparation

Put olive oil into a cold Dutch oven or large heavy saucepan and heat over medium-low heat until just barely hot. Add onion and carrot, sprinkle with a little salt and pepper to bring out the flavors, and saute until softened. Add garlic and saute 1 to 2 minutes more, but do not let garlic burn.

Add beef, and pork if used; cook and stir until no longer pink. Drain off excess fat. Add oregano, basil and red pepper flakes; mix well. a little more salt and pepper is good right here. Stir in the tomato paste. Stir in the wine until well-blended. Add crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce and mix well. Stir in sugar and cinnamon and bring slowly to a simmer.

Simmer uncovered over low heat from 1 to 1-1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Stir in Parmesan; simmer 1 hour longer, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Meanwhile, cook spaghetti according to package directions; drain and divide into 6 warm serving plates. Ladle sauce over the pasta and serve with additional Parmesan on the side.

NOTES:

Use only a non-stick, enamel coated Dutch oven or stainless steel pot; aluminum or cast iron are reactive and can yield a metallic taste.

You can add a heaping teaspoon of bacon fat to the olive oil and use all beef (no pork).

Use the best canned tomatoes possible. Best brands of crushed and whole tomatoes are San Marzano, Muir Glen, Cento, or any others if the cans say tomatoes are "San Marzano".

Any brand of tomato paste and tomato sauce is fine---I use Hunt's or Muir Glen.

This sauce freezes well in sealable 1-quart plastic containers or 1-quart freezer Ziploc bags..

Also, if you really love meat, add some home-made or ready-to-cook frozen meatballs during the last hour of simmering.

Notes

I sometimes replace the ground pork with an equal amount of good butcher quality Italian sausage (either sweet or hot) that's been removed from its casing and crumbled.

Use this sauce with any cooked pasta (allow about 1 cup sauce for each 1 1/2 cups pasta), or layer sauce into lasagna.

I often double the recipe and freeze the leftovers in 1-quart freezer Ziploc bags for use later.

This recipe calls for wine. Don?t be shy about cooking with wine, even when the kids are eating it -- the alcohol cooks off very quickly, leaving just an amazing flavor behind. This recipe only uses 1/4 cup dry red wine, just enought to make the sauce a little more interesting, but you can use more or less to taste. However, the tannin in red wine will darken the sauce considerably. So, if your going to use more than 1/4 cup, I would suggest substituting either a dry white wine (such as Pinot Grigio) or a dry vermouth (I like the herby, woodsy accents it adds to food).

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  • Spaghetti with Meat Sauce photo by Meezplz Meezplz

  • photo by sgrishka sgrishka

  • Calories Per Serving: 742
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    Spaghetti with Meat Sauce Reviews

    Give it a rating Would you make it again?   [please sign in to add your comment]
    This was amazing!
    2 months, 3 weeks, 3 days, 20 hours, 43 minutes ago
    The best. This recipe in my go to file for spaghetti sauce-thank you for sharing.
    6 months, 3 days, 23 hours, 38 minutes ago
    sooooo amazing! i have enjoyed all ur recipes so far. i added mushrooms after the tomato sauces, and cooked my meat first then added to sautéed garlic. added to my favs!! thanku
    6 months, 3 weeks, 23 hours, 8 minutes ago
    I made this last night and it was excellent.....hank you for sharing
    6 months, 3 weeks, 6 days, 3 hours, 34 minutes ago
    Didn't have any tomato sauce on hand when I made this, so I used a little more wine. Turned out really well, going to need to try the recipe the right way.
    1 years, 1 months, 4 days, 15 hours, 15 minutes ago
    Absolute perfection! It says for 6 but between me & my partner, we scoffed it down in 2 nights!
    1 years, 1 months, 2 weeks, 2 days, 11 hours, 15 minutes ago
    Good sauce, except I didn't sauté for 2 hours. Instead, I sautéed for about 30 minutes and it was still flavorful.
    1 years, 1 months, 2 weeks, 5 days, 15 hours, 51 minutes ago
    Very good! I used every ingredient. Thanks for sharing!
    1 years, 2 months, 5 days, 11 hours, 18 minutes ago
    Easy and delicious! Thanks.
    1 years, 7 months, 2 weeks, 6 days, 19 hours, 40 minutes ago
    Great sauce! I didnt use cinnamon or carrotts also switched pork with Italian Sausage and cooked in a crock pot for 24 hrs.....I shared it at work and ran out supe fast...I am making it again this week but a double batch this time!
    2 years, 4 days, 15 hours, 21 minutes ago
    Not my taste, nor my husband's. Cinnamon overtook the dish.
    2 years, 9 months, 3 weeks, 2 days, 22 hours, 2 minutes ago
    The recipe was jst an all around great recipe. The only problem is it calls for wine which is difficult for people under 21 to get a hold of to cook with (like me) but I got around it and it turn out fantasic. I cooked it for my friends and my girlfriend and it was a hit. The only recommendation I have is to use only a little less than an eighth of a teaspoon of cinnamon (about a dash) because it is very strong and can take over the flavor and scent of it. I also recommend you fry the beef/pork before you put it in the sauce to ensure that the beef is fully done like other sauces.
    But I would recommend this recipe to anyone who likes spaghetti who wants to impress their friends.
    3 years, 5 months, 2 weeks, 3 days, 19 hours, 27 minutes ago
    The canned tomato's and tomato sauce I used had Italian season in them so I used a little less oregano & basil. I also used a Shiraz for the wine. Other than that this was a great recipe.
    4 years, 4 days, 6 hours, 21 minutes ago
    [I made edits to this recipe.]
    5 years, 5 months, 2 weeks, 1 days, 16 hours, 10 minutes ago
    [I made edits to this recipe.]
    5 years, 5 months, 2 weeks, 5 days, 17 hours, 20 minutes ago
    I sometimes replace the ground pork with an equal amount of good butcher quality Italian sausage (either sweet or hot) that's been removed from its casing and crumbled.

    Use this sauce with any cooked pasta (allow about 1 cup sauce for each 1 1/2 cups pasta), or layer sauce into lasagna.

    I often double the recipe and freeze the leftovers in 1-quart freezer Ziploc bags for use later.

    This recipe calls for wine. Don’t be shy about cooking with wine, even when the kids are eating it -- the alcohol cooks off very quickly, leaving just an amazing flavor behind. This recipe only uses 1/4 cup dry red wine, just enought to make the sauce a little more interesting, but you can use more or less to taste. However, the tannin in red wine will darken the sauce considerably. So, if your going to use more than 1/4 cup, I would suggest substituting either a dry white wine (such as Pinot Grigio) or a dry vermouth (I like the herby, woodsy accents it adds to food). [I posted this recipe.]
    6 years, 4 months, 2 weeks, 3 days, 21 minutes ago

    Tags

    1. Comforting
    2. Winter
    3. Dinner
    4. Main Dish
    5. Sauces
    6. Side Dish
    7. American
    8. Pasta
    9. parmesan
    10. alcohol
    11. wine
    12. red wine
    13. garlic
    14. carrot
    15. onion
    16. olive oil
    17. pork
    18. beef
    19. spaghetti
    20. ground pork
    21. ground beef
    22. Slow cook
    23. DEpeYWERpLrm

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