Homemade Meat Sauce

This homemade spaghetti sauce with meat is rich, hearty, and ready in just 30 minutes. Made with ground beef, tomatoes and simple ingredients. It delivers deep flavor without hours of simmering. Perfect for busy weeknights or quick pasta dinners.

This sauce with meat is perfect for my creamy lasagna with béchamel sauce, my cheesy baked spaghetti, or my cheesy baked ziti recipe.

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Servings

Calories 429 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

3 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic minced
1 lb ground beef
salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp tomato paste
4½ oz tomato 1 medium tomato, cubed
13 oz tomato passata or more
3 leaves fresh basil or ½ tsp ground basil

Instructions

Heat up the oil on medium-high heat in a medium skillet or pot. Cook the garlic until fragrant then add the ground beef. Using a wooden spatula break of the meat as you stir. Add salt and black pepper to taste.
3 tbsp olive oil, 1 clove garlic, 1 lb ground beef, salt and pepper
Cook the beef until brown. (If you find that there is too much fat from the beef, you can drain the fat and then return the ground beef to the pan.)
Add the tomato paste. Stir the beef until all of the tomato paste has been mixed and evenly distributed into the beef. Add the chopped tomatoes. Cover and cook on medium for about 5 minutes until the tomatoes have wilted and are soft. Use a wooden spoon to squash the tomato chunks.
2 tbsp tomato paste, 4½ oz tomato
Add the tomato passata. If you are using fresh basil, add it now. Add any other herbs as well. Cover and simmer on low for 10 to 20 minutes stirring occasionally.
3 leaves fresh basil, 13 oz tomato passata
Once the sauce is ready, turn off the heat. If you are using ground basil, add it now and stir in to the sauce until well combined.
3 leaves fresh basil

Notes

Top Tips

Brown the meat thoroughly to build flavors before adding tomatoes.

Drain excess fat, then return the meat to the skillet.

Cook the tomato paste for a minute or two to deepen richness.

Taste and adjust salt at the end once flavors develop.

If the sauce thickens too much, add a small splash of pasta water when tossing with pasta.

Nutrition

Serving: 1Calories: 429kcalCarbohydrates: 11gProtein: 22gFat: 33gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 18gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 81mgSodium: 167mgPotassium: 872mgFiber: 2gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 877IUVitamin C: 16mgCalcium: 45mgIron: 4mg

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