Spaghetti meat sauce
Prep Time:
10 minutes
Cooking Time:
40 minutes
Servings:
6
This sauce freezes well. Allow it to cool, then transfer into freezer-proof containers and freeze up to 1 month. Defrost and reheat as desired.
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Ingredients
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3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
6 cloves garlic, sliced
1/2 tsp. dried basil (optional)
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
3 tsp. kosher salt, divided
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 lb. (85% lean) ground beef
2 (28-oz.) cans whole peeled tomatoes
1 Parmesan rind
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
Directions
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, heat 2 tablespoons oil. Add onion, garlic, dried basil (if using), oregano, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent and light golden brown, about 7 minutes.
Increase heat to medium-high. Add beef and break up into small pieces with a wooden spoon. Cook, stirring occasionally and reducing heat if needed, until beef begins to brown, about 8 minutes; season with 1 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
In a medium bowl, crush tomatoes and their juices with your hands until small pieces form. Add tomatoes and Parmesan rind to saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sauce reduces by about one-quarter and raw tomato flavor has cooked out, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from heat; discard Parmesan rind.
Add fresh basil, butter, and remaining 1 tablespoon oil and 1 teaspoon salt; toss to combine until sauce is glossy and butter is melted.
Note:
Don't mistake it for these popular tomato sauces:
— Bolognese sauce isn’t spaghetti sauce, and spaghetti sauce isn’t Bolognese. Bolognese is basically a glorified ragú—a long-simmered sauce that includes carrots and celery, red wine, beef stock, and milk.
— Marinara sauce is a little less involved, featuring crushed tomatoes, onion, garlic, olive oil, and basil. Cooked for under an hour, it’s less concentrated than sauces that have been stewing on the stove all afternoon.
— Pomodoro sauce is a quick-cooking fresh tomato sauce. Chopped fresh (not canned) tomatoes are briefly simmered with olive oil, garlic, and basil to preserve their bright flavor.
