When it comes to staple recipes there are a few that you need in your arsenal and one of those has to be this Meat Sauce Recipe. Super simple to throw together with amazing flavor.
I love this Meat Sauce Recipe, it has been one that we have been using for the longest time. It doesn’t take long to throw together and it goes great in so many different dishes.
We serve this over pasta, in lasagna, stuffed shells, etc. You can pretty much use this Meat Sauce Recipe for anything and everything, that is why it is a great recipe to have on hand.
With a nice array of ingredients, it really is full of flavor and having it simmer for at least 30 minutes really helps all those flavors marry and come together.
I know we all have our own versions of sauces, but once you try this Meat Sauce it might just become your go-to recipe like it has ours.
It is great to serve at dinner parties, at home with family or just baked into different dishes like I mentioned above. It is such a versatile recipe and that is one of the best parts.
Some of our favorite recipes that you can use this sauce for include: Pizza Pasta Bake, Lasagna Roll Ups and Tortellini Bake.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
- It makes a nice large batch to serve a crowd.
- The meats can be switched up to your liking.
- The longer it simmers the better it gets!
INGREDIENTS NEEDED (FULL RECIPE BELOW):
Lean ground beef
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Parmesan cheese
Kosher salt
Pepper
Tomato paste
Dry red wine
Roasted garlic or garlic cloves
Tomato sauce
Dried oregano
HOW TO MAKE A MEAT SAUCE RECIPE:
- Place the ground beef, garlic powder, onion powder, parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper into a large bowl and mix it together until combined.
- In a dutch oven or heavy bottom skillet with deep sides brown the meat over medium-high heat. Break up the meat into crumbles and try to get a sear on the meat as best you can. Do not drain the fat (this is a personal preference, it adds a lot of flavor to the sauce, drain if you have to!).
- Add the tomato paste and red wine to the pan and stir it into the meat, let this cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Turn the heat down to medium-low. If using the roasted garlic, remove the cloves from the papery outside and add them directly to the pan. If not using roasted garlic, add the minced fresh garlic now along with the tomato sauce, parmesan cheese, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper. Stir everything together until combined.
- Let simmer for at least 30 minutes, covered, stirring occasionally. Taste and add salt if needed. Serve over pasta or whatever recipe you need for meat sauce.
CAN I USE ANOTHER MEAT FOR THIS RECIPE?
Absolutely, you can use your favorite ground meat for this, the leaner the better. Ground chicken, turkey or Italian sausage works great.
One thing that we like to do is add ½ pound of ground Italian sausage to the meat mixture in place of ½ pound of ground beef.
WHAT KIND OF WINE IS BEST FOR THIS MEAT SAUCE RECIPE?
I suggest using your favorite dry red wine that you like to drink anyway instead of a super cheap bottle. This is just my preference but I have noticed it does make a difference in the outcome of the dish.
HOW LONG DOES THIS NEED TO SIMMER?
You will want to let this simmer for a minimum of 30 minutes, the longer the better. The longer it simmers the more flavor it gets from the flavors of the sauce marrying.
WHAT CAN I SERVE THIS WITH/IN?
This is the perfect recipe to ust over your favorite noodles, or also in recipeS! I have used this to make lasagna, baked ziti, and so much more!
HOW TO STORE:
This sauce can be stored in the refrigerator where it will keep in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
This can also be frozen, what we like to do is place our cooled sauce in a freezer bag and flatten it out (this helps it defrost faster) and place in the freezer where it will keep for up to 3 months.
To defrost, remove to refrigerator overnight or place in a bowl in the microwave or place back in a pot on the stove and slowly heat back up to a simmer.
TIPS AND TRICKS:
- We like to use a lean ground beef for this as we do not drain the grease.
- You can switch up your meats, see above for some options.
- Easily double this recipe to serve more people or to save for a later date.
- Use your favorite drinking wine for this, it makes all the difference.
- This can be frozen, see above on how to do that.
- This can go in so many dishes, see above for some options.
- The longer you let it simmer the better it gets, just make sure to let it simmer for a minimum of 30 minutes.
- Add chopped fresh ¼ cup Italian parsley or basil right at the end for a pop of herby freshness.
Looking for that staple recipe that you will want to have on hand for various dishes? This Meat Sauce Recipe is exactly the one that you will need.
If you like this recipe you might also like:
If you’ve tried this MEAT SAUCE RECIPE let me know in the comments how it turned out! You can follow me over on PINTEREST, INSTAGRAM OR FACEBOOK to find some more of our mouthwatering recipes!
Meat Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
For the meat:
- 1 ½ pounds lean ground beef
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
For the sauce:
- 6 ounce can tomato paste
- ¼ cup dry red wine
- 1 head roasted garlic or 4 cloves garlic minced
- 30 ounces tomato sauce
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Kosher salt to taste
Instructions
- Place the ground beef, garlic powder, onion powder, parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper into a large bowl and mix it together until combined.
- In a dutch oven or heavy bottom skillet with deep sides brown the meat over medium-high heat. Break up the meat into crumbles and try to get a sear on the meat as best you can. Do not drain the fat (this is a personal preference, it adds a lot of flavor to the sauce, drain if you have to!).
- Add the tomato paste and red wine to the pan and stir it into the meat, let this cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Turn the heat down to medium-low. If using the roasted garlic, remove the cloves from the papery outside and add them directly to the pan. If not using roasted garlic, add the minced fresh garlic now along with the tomato sauce, parmesan cheese, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper. Stir everything together until combined.
- Let simmer for at least 30 minutes, covered, stirring occasionally. Taste and add salt if needed. Serve over pasta or whatever recipe you need for meat sauce.
Notes
- Nutritional value is for sauce only.
- We like to use a lean ground beef for this as we do not drain the grease.
- You can switch you your meats, see above for some options.
- Easily double this recipe to serve more people or to save for a later date.
- Use your favorite drinking wine for this, it makes all the difference.
- This can be frozen, see above on how to do that.
- This can go in so many dishes, see above for some options.
- The longer you let it simmer the better it gets, just make sure to let it simmer for a minimum of 30 minutes.
- Add chopped fresh ¼ cup Italian parsley or basil right at the end for a pop of herby freshness.
Nutrition
Comments & Reviews
Laurie says
I love the idea of keeping it simple but flavorful by mixing the meatball recipe but not forming them. Looks like a wonderful sauce! Thanks for sharing.
Dana DeVolk says
Thanks so much!
Diana Rambles says
Yummy sauce. Cute dog! Thanks for linking up!