Go Back
+ servings
Plate of spaghetti with Italian meat sauce on top.
Print Recipe
5 from 1 vote

Hearty Italian Spaghetti Meat Sauce

This rich, hearty, and thick pasta meats sauce is made with browned ground beef, veggies, red wine, and tomatoes, cooked slowly for maximum flavor!
Prep Time15 minutes
1 hour 26 minutes
Total Time1 hour 41 minutes
Course: Main Course Meat, Main Course Pasta
Cuisine: American-Italian
Servings: 10
Calories: 282kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 Onion chopped
  • 2 Celery Stalks chopped
  • 1 Carrot do not peel the carrot
  • 1 Tablespoons Olive oil
  • 3 Garlic cloves minced
  • 6 ounce Can tomato paste
  • 2 pounds Ground beef 85%lean
  • ½ teaspoon Thyme
  • ½ teaspoon Black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon Oregano
  • ¾ cup Red wine not sweet
  • 2 28-ounce cans of crushed tomatoes we prefer the San Marzano variety
  • 1 Bay leaf
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • pinch of baking soda (if the sauce seems too acidic)
  • Optional garnishes: Parmesan cheese, freshly chopped oregano.

Instructions

Soffritto

  • Sauté the onion, celery, and carrot with olive oil for 6 minutes in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium heat.

Sauce

  • Add the garlic and tomato paste to the pot. Mix and cook for 2 minutes.
  • Add beef to the pot. Mix and cook for 8 minutes or until fully browned.
  • Add the thyme, black pepper, oregano, and 1 cup of red wine to the pot. Mix and simmer for 10 minutes.
  • Add the tomatoes, bay lear, and salt to the pot. Cover and simmer on low heat, stirring occasionally, for approximately 60 minutes.
  • Taste. If the sauce seems too tart or acidic, add a pinch of baking soda. Mix and taste again. Add a bit more until you reach the taste you like.

Notes

  • For a thicker consistency in the meaty mixture, allow it to simmer for a little longer. Otherwise, add 1 teaspoon of cornstarch and water to the sauce for thickening. 
  • Use any leftover homemade ragù sauce to make easy Sloppy Joes. You can also enjoy leftover meat sauce over freshly cooked pasta, slathered over baked potatoes, mashed potato, or as a delicious filling in lasagna or on grilled cheese sandwiches and chili dogs.
  • If you find that your spaghetti sauce with meat is too thick for your liking, thin it out by reducing or omitting the tomato paste or adding in some pasta water from any pasta you’ve cooked on the side.
  • Taste the finished sauce and add salt and black pepper if needed. If the sauce is too acidic add a pinch of baking soda to it to neutralize the acid. 

Nutrition

Calories: 282kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 64mg | Sodium: 440mg | Potassium: 504mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1323IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 3mg