Quick Homemade Meat Sauce for Pasta

By Joanne Lamb Hayes
The latest from Inside Special Fork

When my family goes out to an Italian restaurant, despite all the enticing choices on the menu, half of the group orders Pasta with meat sauce. So I figured out early on that making this dish at home is a good way to get everyone to eat their dinner.

Rather than using a prepared pasta sauce, with this quick recipe you can create a homemade sauce that is ready to serve in the time it takes to bring the pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta.

A few years ago, I started adding some carrots to the sauce and no one complained. You can skip them if you want, but they provide a little sweetness to balance the acidity of the tomatoes and bring the added nutrition of another vegetable to the meal.

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Pasta with Meat Sauce

Makes 4 servings (5 cups)

Kosher salt
1 teaspoon olive oilv 1 pound ground beef chuck or ground dark and light meat turkey
1 medium onion, chopped (1 cup)
2 medium carrots, finely chopped (1 cup), optional
2 cloves garlic, chopped (2 teaspoons)
2 cans (15 ounces each) chopped tomatoes
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
1 teaspoon dried or 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon dried or 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh oregano leaves
One 16-ounce package dried pasta
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Fresh basil sprigs, optional

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Crumble the beef into the pan leaving some in fairly large chunks. Cook, stirring frequently, until the meat is no longer pink, about 5 minutes.

Add the onion, carrots, and garlic and cook until aromatic and the vegetables have begun to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato sauce, basil, oregano, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until it is al dente, 8 to 12 minutes depending on the shape of pasta used. Drain pasta and divide into pasta bowls; top with sauce and cheese. Garnish with basil sprigs, if desired.

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