Description
This is truly the BEST Meat Sauce recipe! It’s a rich and flavorful sauce made with ground beef, a medley of vegetables, and a blend of herbs and spices, simmered to perfection for a classic Italian-American taste.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
- 1/4 cup dry red wine
- 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 2 cups tomato sauce
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Brown and Sauté: Heat olive oil in a large skillet or pot over medium-high heat. Brown ground beef, breaking it up as it cooks. Add onion and bell pepper; cook until softened. Stir in garlic, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, sugar, salt, pepper, and red wine. Cook until wine evaporates.
- Simmer: Add crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally. If the sauce becomes too thick, thin it out with beef broth, chicken broth, or pasta water.
- Season and Serve: Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Remove bay leaves. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve over your favorite pasta, topped with Parmesan cheese.
Notes
- Consistency: Adjust sauce thickness with broth or pasta water.
- Nutrition: The nutrition information provided does not include pasta or Parmesan cheese.
- Storage: Refrigerate leftovers for 3-4 days or freeze for 4-6 months.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Cup
- Calories: 150kcal
- Sugar: 8g
- Sodium: 400mg
- Fat: 8g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 12g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 10g
- Cholesterol: 30mg
