Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Mom's Meat Sauce

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Growing up I always thought that this was bolognese but now I know that a traditional bolognese has some veggies and wine in it and takes a long time to cook. This is a much simpler version but still adds another layer of flavor and depth to the sauce. As always I change some minor things like how I season the meat but the end result pretty much comes out the same. We were over my parents' house on Sunday and my mom made this with rigatoni. It was delicious and I'm proud to say that mine and hers tastes almost exactly the same!

Ingredients:

2 cans crushed tomatoes
1 medium onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 lb ground beef
6-7 basil leaves
salt and pepper
garlic powder
Mrs. Dash
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tsp sugar


Brown ground beef in about 1 Tbsp of oil. Sprinkle with garlic powder, Mrs. Dash, salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Use a potato masher or wooden spoon to break up the meat so you don't have any large chunks. Drain oil from meat and set aside.

Saute onion and garlic in EVOO. Return meat to pot and add tomatoes. Swish water in the cans and add about ½ can of water or as needed so it’s not too thick. Season with salt and pepper to taste and add basil. Let cook for ½ hour, stirring occasionally so sauce does not burn. Taste again for seasoning. Add 1 tsp of sugar or a little more if needed. Allow sauce to cook for ½ hour more and taste again.

Serve over pasta.

7 comments:

Theresa said...

Nothing like a good sauce for the pasta!! Mangiare!

Bob said...

Yeah, good sauce rules. But what size can of tomatoes is it? I'm assuming 15 oz, is that right?

Michele said...

Actually, they are 28oz. That's the standard size for crushed tomatoes I believe. We use the Tuttorosso brand.

Lucy..♥ said...

Bellissimo!! that's my go to sauce, yum-O

Jersey Girl Cooks said...

This looks great for a Sunday dinner. Growing up, we had this a lot.

Stacey Snacks said...

You are sharing mom's secret meat sauce? Sounds simple and yummy.
Will try it for sure! (I like the foil on the stove story....).
Stacey

Shane T. Wingerd said...

Absolutely mouth watering, thanks for sharing this one Michele!!!