Easy Weeknight Spaghetti with Meat Sauce
A rich and meaty tomato sauce that takes less than 30 minutes to make. This simple Pasta Bolognese (or meat sauce) is full of flavor and tastes like it’s been simmering all day long!
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 471kcal
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2-1 pound lean ground beef
- 1/2-1 pound Italian sausage not in casings
- 4 teaspoons minced garlic 4 cloves
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 1/4 cups dry red wine divided (or 1/4 cup red wine vinegar + 1/2 cup apple juice + 1/2 cup water)
- 1-28- ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1-8 oz. can tomato sauce
- 1 bay leaf
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound dried pasta like spaghetti or linguine
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus extra for garnish
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a 5 quart saute pan or pot over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and Italian sausage and cook, crumbling with a wood spoon, for about 6 minutes or until the meat is no longer pink.
- Drain some of the fat (but leave a little behind for flavor) and stir in garlic, oregano and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 minute. Stir in dry red wine (or alternative red wine vinegar mixture) and de-glaze the pan, scraping up any brown bits.
- Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, about a tablespoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer on low for about 10 minutes.
- While the sauce is simmering, bring a large pot of water to boil. Add a tablespoon of salt, a tablespoon of olive oil and the pasta. Cook according to package directions.
- While the pasta cooks, add the nutmeg, fresh basil and heavy cream to the sauce and simmer for another 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally until thickened.
- Once the pasta is cooked to al dente (cooked, but with a bite) add the pasta directly to the sauce and stir/toss to coat. Add the 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan and toss again. Note - add the pasta in batches, so you can judge how much you need.
- Divide into bowls and garnish with more Parmesan cheese.
Notes
If you don't like to cook with wine, or simply don't have any on hand, try my little trick of combining red wine vinegar with apple juice and water. No one will know that difference!
Nutrition
Calories: 471kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 53mg | Sodium: 395mg | Potassium: 394mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 317IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 97mg | Iron: 2mg