Tomato Meat Sauce
We also refer to this one as “three hour sauce.” It is not a quick cooking recipe, BUT it is mostly hands-off, allowing multi-tasking while it simmers away on the stove. This makes a batch big enough to use half and freeze half, saving future time as well. This meat sauce is delicious with spaghetti or layered in lasagna, but our favorite way to eat it is to toss it with pasta and cheese, cover with more cheese and bake. It is excellent in a baked ziti.
Tomato Meat Sauce
Makes 2 batches or 1 very large batch
Ingredients
- 1 onion, chopped fine
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb ground beef
- salt
- 1 can chopped tomatoes
- 2 cans tomato puree
- 1.5 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 heaping tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp crushed fennel seeds
- 1.5 tsp oregano
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- 2 scant tsp sugar
Instructions
- Saute onion in olive oil in a medium or large heavy-bottom saucepan (recommend enameled cast iron) over medium high heat until onions are translucent
- Add ground beef and salt, stirring and breaking up meat until thoroughly browned and crumbly
- Add remaining ingredients, and stir well to combine
- Once bubbling, reduce heat to low. Cover, leaving a small gap for steam to escape, and simmer two and a half to three hours, stirring every 30 minutes or so.
- After two hours, taste, and add more salt or sugar if needed
