Spaghetti with meat sauce is one of those dishes that I make with whatever I have on hand. I like to use ground Italian sausage, but I can’t always find it. Instead, I buy the links and remove the casings. If I don’t have sausage, I add diced pepperoni to the ground meat. I sometimes use a can of whole Italian peeled tomatoes and crush them myself. Other times I use a can of tomato paste instead of the puree. Whatever makes life easier.
Spaghetti with Meat Sauce Recipe
For thicker sauce, substitute a tablespoon of double concentrate tomato paste for the puree. Add water, a little at a time, until you reach the desired consistency.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings 8
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- ½ cup chopped onion
- 1 pound ground beef or chuck
- 5 to 6 Italian sausage links casings removed
- 1 28- ounce can Italian crushed tomatoes
- 1 28- ounce can tomato puree
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 7 or 8 basil leaves sliced into ribbons
- 1 pound spaghetti
Instructions
- In a large saucepan add oil and heat on low. Sauté onion and garlic in oil until tender.
- Turn the heat up to medium. Add ground chuck and sausage and cook until the meat is browned, stirring often.
- Add tomatoes, puree, salt. and cheese; stir well. Bring sauce to a boil and boil for 3 or 4 minutes. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for about 30 minutes. Add basil; mix well. Adjust salt as necessary.
- While sauce is simmering, cook spaghetti in a large pot of well-salted boiling water until al dente (about 8-10 minutes). Drain well. Toss spaghetti with meat sauce. Sprinkle with cheese and serve.
[…] on Easter baking. Instead, we started straight away on dad’s mojito’s and mom’s spaghetti with meat sauce. Can’t think of a better meal on Good Friday. Didn’t do any […]