Easy Hearty Italian Meat sauce

5 from 2 votes

Ground beef Italian American Meat Sauce

Prep Time10

Cook Time35

Total Time45

Servings: quarts

Cook Veggies: In your dutch oven, heat 2tbs olive oil on medium 5 minutes. Add onion and thinly sliced garlic with a light pinch of salt. Toss & cook onions until softened and lightly browning, tossing often.
Add Ground Beef: Add ground beef & break up with spatula. Cook about ¾ of the way through (a light bit of pink left). Add tomato paste and toss until combined. Finish cooking ground beef.
Create Sauce: Next, add whole peeled tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, dried seasonings & a little more salt & stems of fresh oregano. Add parm rind if using*. Bring to bubble at medium-high heat and then turn heat to low. Turn heat to low (**check notes for cook times). Let simmer as long as you can, at least 30 minutes, tossing occasionally to be sure nothing sticks to the bottom.
When sauce is ready to eat, taste to adjust seasonings accordingly. Remove parm rind & oregano stems. Add more salt if it is a little bland. If tomatoes are tasting a little acidic or tin-y, add a small pinch of sugar.
To Serve: Serve sauce over cooked pasta of choice & serve with parmesan cheese and fresh basil if desired.

Canned Tomatoes: Cento San Marzano tomatoes, they are my favorite, and I feel I rarely need to use sugar to balance
Parmesan Rind: Whole foods and some grocery stores sell a package of just parmesan rinds in a container, usually in the speciality cheese section. You can also use any parmesan cheese & slice off the back, hard rind and use for your sauces. They keep amazing in the freezer - do this and save them for your next sauce!