Meat Sauce

This Meat Sauce Recipe makes pasta delicious and hearty! This meat sauce is rich and comforting made with lean ground beef, vegetables, fresh herbs, and spices. A family favourite Italian Dinner Recipe.

Ahhh pasta! I don’t think I have eaten a dish  I didn’t like! This Meat Sauce recipe is one of my favourites to pair with pasta and one that probably brings back the most memories.

This pasta dish was something my mother-in-law made for special occasions and sometimes if we were lucky she even made her own fettuccine.

My own mother made her own delicious meat sauce and Meatballs almost every Sunday. My father was not much of a pasta guy, but my mother,  me and my sisters sure were.

So my whole life, both in Canada where I grew up, and in Italy, pasta has always been a favorite meal. And what better way to serve it than with a delicious, hearty Italian sauce.

Maybe you’re wondering, what is the difference between meat sauce and bolognese? They are both meat sauces, but bolognese is a specific kind of sauce from Bologna.

The main difference is that it’s made with milk that is added after the sauce has simmered for several hours. It gives the sauce a rich creaminess. This easy meat sauce recipe I’m sharing today doesn’t need to cook as long and it has a little more tomato puree, too. No milk in this meat sauce – we save that for Authentic Bolognese!

Why I Love This Recipe

This is the perfect Sunday dinner recipe or company-coming-for-dinner-what-should-I-make-dish. When the sauce is simmering on the stove it  fills the house with so much aroma you really don’t think you can wait for dinner. But the wait will certainly be worth it.

I love this kind of homemade sauce too because you can let it thicken to what ever consistency you desire. I prefer it on the thicker side but some people, my husband for example prefers it a little bit thinner. Sometimes he wins sometimes I do!

Ingredients

• Olive oil
• Chopped garlic, carrots, onions, and celery
• Lean ground beef or a mixture of ground beef and pork
• Tomato puree (passata)
• Water
• Salt
• Dried oregano and basil
• Chopped fresh basil
• Bay leaf
• Hot pepper flakes
• Cooked pasta like spaghetti, fettuccine, linguine, penne, etc

Recipe Steps

Heat the olive oil in a medium pot, then add the garlic, chopped carrot, onion and celery. Cook them on medium heat for approximately two to three minutes or until the onion is softened and translucent.

Add the ground beef and brown it with the vegetables. Add the tomato puree, water, and all of the spices and herbs. Stir well to combine and bring the sauce to a boil.

Lower heat and simmer it half-covered for 35 to 40 minutes or until it’s thickened to your liking.

Serve with your favourite pasta and a sprinkling of freshly grated Parmesan cheese on top.

FAQ

What to Serve with Meat Sauce and Pasta

Here in Italy pasta is usually served at noon and  pasta is called ” primo piatto” (the first dish) and then it would be  followed up with a “secondo piatto” and a “contorno” (a meat dish and a vegetable).

But if you made this fettuccine and meat sauce for dinner you could serve it with a nice salad tossed with olive oil and a little wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar and of course don’t forget the Italian bread, with this dish you will certainly want to scoop up every drop of that delicious meaty sauce.

Of course don’t forget a nice glass of white wine if you wish.

Making your own delicious meat sauce from scratch is a dinner your family is going to love. Buon appetito!

More Sauces to Try

• Classic Basil Pesto
• Simple Fresh Basil Tomato Sauce
• Pumpkin Sauce
• Creamy Red Pepper Sauce