Description
Savory spaghetti meat sauce delivers classic Italian comfort straight to dinner tables with rich, robust flavors. Simmered tomatoes, ground beef, and aromatic herbs create a soul-warming dish you’ll crave again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat:
- 2 pounds (0.9 kilograms) ground chuck
Pasta:
- 1 pound (454 grams) spaghetti
Tomato Base:
- 14.5 ounces (411 grams) diced tomatoes
- 28 ounces (794 grams) crushed tomatoes
- 30 ounces (850 grams) tomato sauce
Aromatics and Herbs:
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 green pepper, diced
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 tablespoons parsley, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
Seasonings:
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Warm olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, sautéing diced onions and bell peppers until softened and translucent, approximately 5-6 minutes.
- Mince garlic and add to the vegetable mixture, cooking until aromatic and fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Introduce ground chuck to the skillet, breaking meat into small crumbles and browning thoroughly until no pink remains, roughly 8-10 minutes.
- Drain accumulated fat from the meat to reduce greasiness and enhance flavor concentration.
- Sprinkle dried oregano, basil, salt, and black pepper across the meat, stirring to distribute seasonings evenly and develop robust flavor profiles.
- Pour crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, and diced tomatoes into the skillet, stirring to combine with meat and vegetables.
- Reduce heat and allow sauce to simmer gently, uncovered, for 45-60 minutes, stirring periodically to prevent scorching and develop deep, rich flavors.
- During final 15 minutes of sauce simmering, prepare spaghetti in salted boiling water until perfectly al dente, approximately 7-8 minutes.
- Drain pasta thoroughly and either mix sauce directly with noodles or elegantly ladle sauce atop spaghetti when serving.
Notes
- Boost veggie nutrition by adding extra chopped vegetables like zucchini or carrots during the initial sautéing stage for more depth and nutrients.
- Control fat content by using lean ground beef or substituting with ground turkey for a lighter protein option.
- Enhance flavor complexity by deglazing the pan with red wine after browning meat, which adds rich, depth to the sauce’s overall taste profile.
- Make sauce ahead and freeze in portions for quick weeknight meals, as the flavors develop and improve with time in the refrigerator or freezer.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 70 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Lunch, Snacks
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 500
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 60 g
- Fiber: 6 g
- Protein: 25 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg