Classic Italian Meat Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground beef (lean or extra lean recommended, or a mix of ground beef, pork and or/veal)
• 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (divided)
• 1 cup onion (diced)
• 1/2 cup carrot (finely diced)
• 1/2 cup celery (finely diced)
• pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
• 4-5 cloves garlic (thinly sliced or minced)
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 1 cup red wine (*see Note 1 below)
• 28 oz whole canned tomatoes (hand-crushed)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup basil leaves (chopped, loosely packed or 2 Tbsp dried basil leaves)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
• 1-2 Tablespoons brown sugar (to taste)
• 2 teaspoons fine table salt
• 1 - 4 Tablespoons heavy whipping cream (optional *see Note 2 below)
• 1 - 2 Tablespoons butter (optional *see Note 3 below)
• additional salt and freshly ground pepper (to taste)

Instructions

1. 1

   In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, such as a Dutch oven, heat 1 Tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat. (A heavy-bottomed pot, such as a Dutch oven, will prevent scorching during the long simmering time.) Add the ground beef and cook over medium heat, stirring as necessary, until no longer pink.

2. 2

   Remove the pot from the heat briefly and, using an oven mitt, tilt the pan slightly. Move the beef to the top end of the pot to allow the fat in the pan to flow to the low end. Use a spoon to spoon off most of the fat/liquid in the pot and discard. Return the pot with the ground beef to the heat and continue cooking the ground beef a few more minutes, stirring, to brown nicely. Remove the ground beef to a bowl and set aside.

3. 3

   Add the remaining 1 Tablespoon of olive oil to the same pot and heat over medium heat. Add the 1 cup onion, 1/2 cup carrot and 1/2 cup celery to the pot and cook, stirring regularly, until the onion is softened, about 4-5 minutes. Add the pinch red pepper flakes (if using) and the 4-5 cloves garlic and cook, stirring, about 1 minute (don't let the garlic scorch). Add the 1/4 cup tomato paste to the pot and cook, stirring, for another minute. Add the 1 cup red wine, stir in, then allow to cook/simmer for about 2 minutes, or until reduced by about half. Add the 28 oz whole canned tomatoes, 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup basil leaves, 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves, 1-2 Tablespoons brown sugar and 2 teaspoons fine table salt. Stir well to combine, breaking up the whole tomatoes with the spoon. Return the cooked ground beef to the pot.

4. 4

   Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce the heat to low (or a tad higher if necessary to produce a very gentle simmer) and simmer the sauce for about 2 hours, stirring regularly and more frequently as the mixture starts to thicken toward the end of cooking. (It's important to watch the sauce closely and stir often as the sauce thickens, as the sauce/meat can scorch if it sits on the bottom of the pan too long.) Cook sauce until desired thickness is reached. For pasta, I like to leave it a touch thinner. For lasagna or other baked pasta, you can cook until most of the liquid has cooked off.

5. 5

   Add the heavy cream (if using) a Tablespoon at a time and stir into the sauce until it reaches your desired level of creaminess. Add the butter to the sauce and stir vigorously with the sauce until the butter is completely melted. Taste the sauce and add additional salt and/or freshly ground pepper, as needed, to your taste. (If the flavours taste a little bit flat, a bit more salt is usually the solution!)

6. 6

   To serve this meat sauce with pasta, I like to combine the sauce and the cooked pasta in a large bowl and toss well, then I use tongs to transfer to serving plates or a bowl. You can add another spoonful of sauce on top if you like.

7. 7

   Use sauce immediately or cool a bit, then refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.