Quick Meat Sauce Recipes

BASIC MEAT SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook until softened, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Add beef and cook, breaking up with a spoon until no longer pink, 4 to 5 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook 1 to 2 minutes.
• Add tomatoes and juice, breaking up tomatoes. Simmer over medium heat until thickened and saucy, 45 to 60 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

PASTA WITH MEAT SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat a large saucepan over medium heat and add the oil. When hot, add the meat and cook, without stirring, until browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Break it up with a wooden spoon, then add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until starting to soften, about 2 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the wine and bring to a simmer. Add the crushed tomatoes and oregano and season with salt and pepper. Simmer until thickened and the flavors come together, about 1 hour.
• About 20 minutes before the sauce is done, bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt liberally. Drop in the pasta, give it a stir and cook until al dente according to the package instructions. Drain the pasta and add it to the sauce. Remove from the heat, toss in the cheese and serve.

MEAT MARINADE

Steps:

• Use a flat container large enough to hold meat in a single layer. Combine oil, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, mustard and lemon juice. Season with garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. Place meat in the marinade and turn to coat both sides.
• Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, shaking or turning meat occasionally.

PASTA WITH 15-MINUTE MEAT SAUCE

Steps:

• Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente; drain and transfer to a large bowl.
• Meanwhile, process onion, celery, carrot, and garlic in a food processor until finely chopped.
• Heat oil in a large skillet over high. Add chopped vegetables, beef, and pork and cook, breaking up with a spatula, until meat is beginning to brown, about 3 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, oregano, 3/4 tsp. salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through, about 1 minute. Add wine and cook, stirring constantly, until reduced by half, about 1 minute more. Stir in tomato sauce, reduce heat to medium, and simmer until sauce is slightly thickened, about 4 minutes.
• Remove from heat, then stir in butter. Toss meat sauce with pasta, top with Parmesan, and season with pepper.
• Do Ahead
• Let sauce cool, then chill in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 2 months.

QUICK AND EASY SPAGHETTI WITH MEAT SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a shallow soup pot.
• Sauteé garlic until golden, then add onions and peppers.
• Sauteé until onions are starting to become translucent, then add beef, and season with salt and pepper.
• Brown until cooked through (about 10-15 minutes).
• Drain grease.
• Add wine (if using) and allow to cook for a couple of minutes.
• Add tomato sauce, tomatoes, boullion cube, parsley, oregano, thyme and basil, salt and pepper and sugar.
• Stir to combine and bring to a boil.
• Boil for about 1 minute then reduce heat to med-low and simmer 20 minutes.
• Serve over spaghetti, top with parmesan cheese and serve with crusty french bread.

MEAT SAUCE

Steps:

• In a large pot over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef and sausage until totally browned. Remove the meat from the pot with a slotted spoon and put it into a bowl. Set aside.
• Discard any grease in the pot, but do not clean the pot. Drizzle in the olive oil. When it is heated, throw in the onions and bell peppers. Stir it around for 1 1/2 minutes, and then add the garlic. Stir and cook for an additional minute.
• Pour in the wine and allow it to bubble up and reduce for about 1 1/2 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes, marinara sauce and tomato paste. Stir to combine, and then add the sugar, salt, oregano, thyme, crushed red pepper if using and bay leaves. Stir, and then add the cooked ground beef and sausage and stir to combine. Place the lid on the pot and allow to simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Add a little water or some low-sodium broth if it needs more liquid.
• After an hour, add the minced parsley and the Parmesan rind if using (or grated Parmesan if you prefer--or both!). Stir to combine, and then put the lid back on and allow it to simmer for another 30 minutes or so. Discard the bay leaves before serving.
• Serve a big bowl of oiled noodles and the meat sauce so guests can serve themselves. Top each serving with minced parsley and grated Parmesan (or Parmesan shavings) and serve with a big piece of garlic-cheese bread.

EASY MEAT SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; saute onion in hot oil until softened, about 5 minutes. Season onion with Italian seasoning; continue to saute until the herbs are fragrant, about 3 minutes more.
• Break beef into small pieces and add to the skillet; cook and stir until browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Stir tomato sauce and diced tomatoes into the beef mixture; season with salt, place a lid on the skillet, reduce heat to low, and cook at a simmer for 1 hour.
• Splash wine over the mixture, stir, and simmer until thickened, about 20 minutes.

QUICK MEAT SAUCE

Steps:

• In a large deep saute pan, heat the oil and add the carrots, celery and onion. Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the veal, pork, Aleppo pepper, garlic and bay leaf and season lightly with salt and pepper. Cook, breaking the chunks of meat with a spatula, until the meat is no longer pink, about 10 minutes.
• Add the wine, tomatoes and tomato paste and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 20 minutes. Discard the bay leaf. Stir in the demi-glace, cream and sage and cook for 3 more minutes. Remove from the heat, season with salt and pepper and stir in the parsley. Serve over pasta with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

GNOCCHI WITH QUICK MEAT SAUCE

Steps:

• In a large heavy pot, heat oil over high. Add meat and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until it begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Add onion, carrots, and garlic and cook until meat is browned and onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, add tomato puree, and bring to a rapid simmer.
• Cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid is slightly reduced, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper; transfer 5 cups meat sauce to an airtight container, let cool, then refrigerate for Summer Beef-and-Rice Casserole. Serve remaining sauce over gnocchi, topped with Parmesan and basil, if desired.

QUICK MEAT SAUCE FROM A JAR

Steps:

• In large skillet cook meat until browned; drain.
• Add onion; cook until tender.
• Stir in spaghetti sauce, parsley, basil or oregano, salt and pepper; simmer 5 to 10 minutes.