Description
A rich and comforting Italian meat sauce made with ground beef, tomatoes, and aromatic vegetables, perfect for pasta night or meal prep.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 medium carrot, finely chopped
- 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 2 bay leaves
Instructions
- Heat a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat.
- Add olive oil, then sauté onion, carrot, and celery for 8–10 minutes until softened. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds more.
- Push veggies to the side and add ground beef. Break it apart and brown for 6–8 minutes.
- Stir in tomato paste, then add crushed tomatoes, oregano, salt, pepper, and bay leaves. Stir well.
- Reduce heat to low, partially cover, and simmer for 1 to 1.5 hours, stirring occasionally.
- Add whole milk during the last 10 minutes of cooking. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Serve warm over pasta and garnish with Parmesan if desired.
Notes
- Let sauce rest 10 minutes before serving for best flavor.
- Freeze leftovers for up to 3 months.
- Add a pinch of sugar if your tomatoes are too acidic.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 290
- Sugar: 7g
- Sodium: 480mg
- Fat: 17g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 14g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 18g
- Cholesterol: 55mg