The Best Meat Sauce Recipe (Rich + Easy!)

5 from 4 votes

The Best Meat Sauce Recipe (Rich + Easy!)

This rich Meat Sauce recipe is the best I've ever had. It is thick, meaty and SO TASTY. Try it and it'll be the only sauce recipe you'll make!

Prep Time20

Cook Time1

Total Time1 20

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Meat sauce, Meat sauce recipe, Recipes with Meat Sauce

Servings:

Author: Jennifer Pallian BSc, RD

Ingredients

¼ cup olive oil
1 large onion minced
1 ½ tsp kosher salt or to taste
2 tbsp minced garlic (about 6 large cloves)
1 ¾ lbs ground beef
1 6-oz can tomato paste
1 28-oz can unsalted diced tomatoes (or passata)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Heat oil in a large saucepan or dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and 1 tsp salt and cook until very soft, about 12 minutes.
Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add beef and increase heat to high. Season with another 1/2 tsp salt and cook until well browned (it'll take a while).
Stir in tomato paste and cook, stirring frequently, until it darkens a shade and smells toasty, about 5 minutes.
Stir in tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Taste and add remaining salt to taste. Reduce heat to low and cook, covered, for 30 minutes or up to a few hours, stirring every now and then and keeping it at a bare simmer.

Notes

Pureed Tomatoes: I like to blend my diced tomatoes in the blender before adding them to the sauce to get that restaurant-style consistency. You could alternatively leave it chunky, or just use a jar of passata.

Big Batch: This recipe makes enough meat sauce to serve with 2 lbs of dry pasta, which should be enough for two meals for most families.

Make Ahead: This meat sauce can be made up to 3-4 days in advance. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge.

Freezer-Friendly: This sauce freezes well, making it perfect for meal prep. Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

Nutrition