Classic Meat Sauce for Spaghetti

Name: Classic Meat Sauce for Spaghetti
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Total time: 1 h 50 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil; 1 large (about 10 oz) (280 g) yellow onion, finely chopped (about 1½ cups); 1 medium (80 g) carrot, peeled and finely grated; 1½ pounds (680 g) ground beef, 80/20, at room temperature for 15 minutes, if possible; 1½ teaspoons (9 g) kosher salt, plus more to taste; 5 cloves (15 g) garlic, minced; 3 tablespoons (48 g) tomato paste; ½ cup (120 ml) dry red wine (optional); 56 ounces (two 28-oz cans) (1590 g) crushed tomatoes; 2 teaspoons (2 g) dried Italian seasoning; 2 whole (1 g) dried bay leaves; 1 teaspoon (4 g) granulated sugar, or to taste; ½ teaspoon (1 g) black pepper, freshly ground; 1 pound (450 g) dried spaghetti; 2 tablespoons (30 g) kosher salt for the pasta water; ½ cup (50 g) Parmigiano-Reggiano, finely grated (optional); ¼ cup (10 g) fresh basil leaves, torn (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A rich, slow-simmered Italian-American meat sauce built on browned ground beef, sweet onion, garlic, and crushed tomatoes. Thick enough to cling to spaghetti and easy to make ahead.

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 1 hr 30 min
Total: 1 hr 50 min
Makes: About 6 cups sauce (enough for 1 lb / 450 g spaghetti, 6 servings)

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Ingredients

6 servings

2 tablespoons (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
1 large (about 10 oz) (280 g) yellow onion, finely chopped (about 1½ cups)
1 medium (80 g) carrot, peeled and finely grated
1½ pounds (680 g) ground beef, 80/20, at room temperature for 15 minutes, if possible
1½ teaspoons (9 g) kosher salt, plus more to taste
5 cloves (15 g) garlic, minced
3 tablespoons (48 g) tomato paste
½ cup (120 ml) dry red wine (optional)
56 ounces (two 28-oz cans) (1590 g) crushed tomatoes
2 teaspoons (2 g) dried Italian seasoning
2 whole (1 g) dried bay leaves
1 teaspoon (4 g) granulated sugar, or to taste
½ teaspoon (1 g) black pepper, freshly ground
For serving
1 pound (450 g) dried spaghetti
2 tablespoons (30 g) kosher salt for the pasta water
½ cup (50 g) Parmigiano-Reggiano, finely grated (optional)
¼ cup (10 g) fresh basil leaves, torn (optional)

Equipment (4)

12-inch (30 cm) deep skillet or 5-quart (4.7 L) heavy-bottomed pot with a lid
Wooden spoon or sturdy spatula
Large pot (6-quart / 5.7 L) for the pasta
Colander

Steps

Before you start

Use 80/20 ground beef; leaner beef can turn dry and grainy in the sauce.
Chop the onion, carrot, and garlic before you turn on the heat so nothing burns while you prep.
Plan on about 110 minutes total; most of it is unattended simmering. This recipe is made entirely on the stovetop, so no oven is needed.
Bring the pasta water to a boil during the last 15 minutes of simmering.

1
Soften the vegetables
- Heat the olive oil in a 12-inch deep skillet or 5-quart heavy pot over medium heat for 1 minute.
- Add the chopped onion, grated carrot, and ½ teaspoon of the salt.
- Cook, stirring every minute or so, for 8 minutes.
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Ready when: Onion is soft and translucent with only a few light golden edges, not dark brown.
Tip: Lower the heat if the onion starts to brown quickly; browned onion tastes bitter in the sauce.
2
Brown the beef
- Increase the heat to medium-high.
- Add the ground beef and 1 teaspoon of the salt.
- Break the meat into small crumbles with a wooden spoon.
- Cook for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally.
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Ready when: No pink remains, the liquid released by the meat has cooked off, and the crumbles are sizzling and starting to brown on the bottom of the pan.
Tip: Don't rush this. Browned bits give the sauce deep flavor. If the beef is very fatty, spoon off all but about 2 tablespoons of fat.
3
Toast garlic and paste
- Reduce the heat to medium.
- Stir in the minced garlic and tomato paste.
- Cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes.
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Ready when: The paste darkens to a brick red and smells sweet and fragrant. The garlic should not turn brown.
4
Deglaze the pan
- Pour in the red wine, if using.
- Scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.
- Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.
- If skipping the wine, use ½ cup (120 ml) water and simmer for 1 minute.
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Ready when: The liquid has reduced by about half and the pan bottom is clean, with no sharp alcohol smell.
5
Add tomatoes and seasonings
- Stir in both cans of crushed tomatoes, the Italian seasoning, bay leaves, sugar, and pepper.
- Scrape out the cans with ½ cup (120 ml) water total and add it to the pan.
- Stir well and bring to a bubble over medium-high heat.
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Ready when: Small bubbles break across the surface of the sauce.
6
Simmer gently
- Reduce the heat to low so the sauce bubbles lazily, with only a bubble or two breaking every second.
- Partially cover the pan with the lid set ajar.
- Simmer for 60 minutes, stirring and scraping the bottom every 15 minutes.
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Ready when: The sauce is thick enough that a spoon dragged across the bottom leaves a trail that closes slowly, and the color has deepened to a brick red with oil pooling at the edges.
Tip: If the sauce splatters heavily, lower the heat or cover slightly more. If it gets too thick, stir in ¼ cup (60 ml) water.
7
Cook the spaghetti
- About 15 minutes before the sauce is done, bring 6 quarts (5.7 L) of water to a boil in a large pot over high heat.
- Add the 2 tablespoons kosher salt for the pasta water, then the spaghetti.
- Cook 1 minute less than the package directions say, usually about 8 minutes.
- Scoop out 1 cup (240 ml) of pasta water, then drain.
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Ready when: Pasta is flexible and tender outside with a slight firm bite at the center.
Tip: Don't rinse the pasta; the surface starch helps the sauce cling.
8
Finish the sauce
- Remove and discard the bay leaves.
- Taste the sauce and add more salt, pepper, or a pinch more sugar if it tastes sharp.
- Add the drained spaghetti to the sauce (or, if the pan is too small, toss it with about half the sauce in the pasta pot).
- Toss over medium heat for 1 minute, adding splashes of pasta water to loosen if needed.
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Ready when: Sauce coats every strand glossily and does not pool at the bottom of the pan.
9
Serve
- Divide among 6 warm bowls.
- Top with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and torn basil, if using.
- Serve right away.

Good to know

Tips

Grating the carrot adds natural sweetness and balances the acidity of the tomatoes, so you need less sugar.
Keep the simmer very gentle; a hard boil makes the meat tough and can scorch the bottom.
Finish the pasta in the sauce for a minute so the noodles absorb flavor rather than just being topped.
For a smoother, finer texture, break up the beef with a potato masher while it browns.

Make ahead

The sauce tastes better after a day. Cool completely, refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days, and reheat gently, adding a splash of water as needed. Cook the spaghetti fresh.

Storage & reheating

Room temperature: no more than 2 hours. Refrigerator: up to 4 days in an airtight container. Freezer: up to 3 months in freezer containers or bags, leaving ½ inch (1 cm) headspace; thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring often, until steaming hot (165°F / 74°C), adding a splash of water if it has thickened.

Substitutions

ground beef, 80/20 → half ground beef and half ground pork, or ground turkey. For turkey, add an extra tablespoon of olive oil since it is leaner.
dry red wine → beef broth. Use ½ cup (120 ml); the sauce will be slightly less complex.
dried Italian seasoning → 1 teaspoon dried oregano plus 1 teaspoon dried basil. Gives the same herbal flavor.
crushed tomatoes → whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand. Use the same weight; the texture will be a bit more rustic.