The Most Delicious Italian Meat Sauce Recipe
Indulge in the rich flavors of this authentic Italian meat sauce that simmers to perfection, creating a delicious and hearty topping for your favorite pasta dishes.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
Scale
For the Meat Sauce:
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large sweet onion (diced)
- 2 pounds at least 85% lean ground beef or 1 pound each of ground beef and ground veal
- 4 – 6 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 teaspoons granulated garlic
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt (plus more to taste)
- 1 teaspoon pepper (plus more to taste)
- 4 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 (28 ounce) can ground peeled tomatoes
- 1 (28 ounce) can tomato puree
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped basil (or torn)
- 2 teaspoons sugar
Instructions
- Heat the Olive Oil and Sauté Onions: In a large pot, heat olive oil and sauté onions until translucent, about 5-8 minutes.
- Add Garlic: Add minced garlic and cook until fragrant.
- Cook the Meat: Add ground beef and veal, if using, and cook until browned.
- Season the Meat: Sprinkle with granulated garlic, salt, and pepper, stirring well.
- Stir in Tomato Paste: Add tomato paste and cook until it darkens.
- Combine Ingredients: Mix in peeled tomatoes, tomato puree, sugar, and basil.
- Simmer: Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 1 hour until thickened, stirring occasionally.
- Adjust Seasoning: Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
Notes
- Cooking the onions longer enhances their sweetness.
- Choose lean meat to reduce excess fat in the sauce.
- Adjust salt and pepper to suit your taste preferences.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 380
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 780mg
- Fat: 24g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 14g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 28g
- Cholesterol: 95mg
Keywords: Italian meat sauce, pasta sauce, homemade bolognese
