Bell Pepper and Ground Beef Soffritto Sauce

Name: Bell Pepper and Ground Beef Soffritto Sauce
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1 lb (450 g) ground beef (80/20 lean-to-fat); 1 medium (200 g) red bell pepper, seeded, cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) dice; 1 medium (200 g) yellow bell pepper, seeded, cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) dice; 1 medium (150 g) yellow onion, cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) dice; 2 stalks (100 g) celery, cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) dice; 4 cloves (20 g) garlic cloves, minced; 28 oz (800 g) canned whole peeled tomatoes; 2 tbsp (30 g) tomato paste; 3 tbsp (45 ml) extra-virgin olive oil; 1 tsp (3 g) dried oregano; to taste kosher salt; to taste freshly ground black pepper; ¼ tsp (½ g) red pepper flakes (optional); 6 leaves (5 g) fresh basil leaves, roughly torn (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A rich, vegetable-forward Bolognese sauce built on a golden soffritto of bell peppers, onion, celery, and garlic, enriched with ground beef and simmered with tomatoes until the flavors meld and the sauce thickens. This sauce coats pasta beautifully and freezes well for weeknight dinners.

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 45 min
Total: 1 hr
Makes: About 4 cups (950 ml), enough to sauce 1 lb (450 g) pasta

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Ingredients

4 servings

1 lb (450 g) ground beef (80/20 lean-to-fat)
1 medium (200 g) red bell pepper, seeded, cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) dice
1 medium (200 g) yellow bell pepper, seeded, cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) dice
1 medium (150 g) yellow onion, cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) dice
2 stalks (100 g) celery, cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) dice
4 cloves (20 g) garlic cloves, minced
28 oz (800 g) canned whole peeled tomatoes
2 tbsp (30 g) tomato paste
3 tbsp (45 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp (3 g) dried oregano
to taste kosher salt
to taste freshly ground black pepper
¼ tsp (0.5 g) red pepper flakes (optional)
6 leaves (5 g) fresh basil leaves, roughly torn (optional)

Equipment (5)

Large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven (5-quart / 4.7 L)
Cutting board
Chef's knife
Wooden spoon or silicone spatula
Measuring spoons and cups

Steps

Before you start

Have all vegetables prepped and ready before you start cooking
Use ground beef that is at least 80/20 lean-to-fat ratio for the best flavor
Open your tomato cans and have them ready to add

1
Brown the beef
- Heat the 5-quart pot over medium-high heat.
- Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it into small pieces with a wooden spoon, for 5–7 minutes until no pink remains and the meat is deep golden brown.
- Drain excess fat if needed, leaving about 1 tablespoon (15 ml) behind for flavor.
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Ready when: Meat is no longer pink and has browned edges
Tip: Don't stir constantly—let the beef sit for 1–2 minutes between stirs to develop a crust and deeper flavor.
2
Build the soffritto
- Add the olive oil, diced bell peppers, onion, and celery to the pot.
- Stir well and cook over medium heat for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften and the peppers and onion become translucent.
- The mixture should smell fragrant and sweet.
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Ready when: Peppers and onion are soft and translucent, celery is tender
Tip: This gentle cooking develops the soffritto's sweetness; don't rush it or let it brown too much.
3
Add garlic and tomato paste
- Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant, then add the tomato paste.
- Stir constantly for 2 minutes to coat everything and deepen the paste's color and flavor.
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Ready when: Garlic is fragrant and tomato paste darkens slightly
Tip: Toasting the tomato paste like this removes raw flavor and concentrates its umami.
4
Add tomatoes and seasonings
- Pour in the canned tomatoes with their liquid, breaking them up with your spoon as you stir.
- Add the oregano, red pepper flakes (if using), ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and a few grinds of black pepper.
- Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally.
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Ready when: Mixture reaches a gentle simmer with small bubbles breaking the surface
Tip: Taste after adding salt and adjust as needed before simmering.
5
Simmer until thick
- Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 25–30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and the flavors deepen.
- The sauce should reduce by about one-quarter and coat the back of a spoon without running off immediately.
- The oil may begin to separate slightly on top, which is fine.
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Ready when: Sauce coats back of spoon and is noticeably thicker than when tomatoes were added
Tip: Don't cover the pot—you need evaporation to thicken the sauce and concentrate flavors.
6
Finish and serve
- Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
- Stir in the fresh basil if using.
- The sauce is now ready to serve over your favorite pasta.
- A generous spoonful of sauce per serving coats about 2 ounces (60 g) of cooked pasta.
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Tip: Add fresh basil at the end to preserve its bright, delicate flavor.

Good to know

Tips

This sauce is deeply savory because of the soffritto base—resist the urge to add sugar unless your tomatoes are very acidic. A tiny pinch of sugar is fine, but let the natural vegetables and meat shine.
For a chunkier sauce, don't break up the canned tomatoes as much. For a smoother sauce, crush them more thoroughly or use canned crushed tomatoes instead of whole.
Save some of the pasta cooking water when draining. A splash stirred into the sauce right before serving helps it cling to the pasta beautifully.
Leftover sauce is excellent on polenta, in lasagna, on meatballs, or even as a topping for burgers.

Make ahead

Make the sauce up to 2 days ahead and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheat gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until warmed through. The flavor actually improves overnight as the spices continue to develop.

Storage & reheating

Room temperature: up to 2 hours. Refrigerator: up to 3 days in an airtight container. Freezer: up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container or zip-top bag. To reheat from frozen, thaw overnight in the refrigerator or reheat gently in a pot over medium-low heat, adding a splash of water if it seems too thick.

Substitutions

canned whole peeled tomatoes → Fresh tomatoes, cored and roughly chopped (about 2 lbs / 900 g ripe tomatoes). Fresh tomatoes will make a lighter, brighter sauce. If using fresh, simmer an extra 10 minutes to reduce more liquid and concentrate flavor.
ground beef (80/20 lean-to-fat) → Ground pork or a mix of ground beef and ground pork. Pork creates a milder, slightly sweeter sauce. The ratio and cooking time remain the same.
red bell pepper → Green bell pepper or additional yellow bell pepper. Green peppers will taste slightly more bitter and vegetal; this is fine. Stick to the total weight of peppers.
dried oregano → 1 tablespoon (3 g) fresh oregano, or 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning. Fresh oregano should be added near the end of cooking to preserve its flavor. Italian seasoning works well if oregano is unavailable.