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5.0 from 3 votes

Japanese Spaghetti Meat Sauce

A versatile and tasty recipe that’s quick to prepare and easy to enjoy.

Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
5 mins
Total Time
30 mins
Servings: 3 portions
Course: Main Course , Lunch , Dinner
Cuisine: Japanese

Ingredients

  • 100 g yellow onion finely diced
  • 30 g carrot diced small
  • 25 g celery finely diced
  • 1 clove garlic finely minced
  • 400 g canned tomato diced or crushed
  • 1 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 150 g ground meat beef or beef/pork mixture
  • 1 tbsp red wine
  • 2 tbsp tomato ketchup
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 
  • 1 pinch ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • ½ tsp oregano
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 240 g dry spaghetti
  • 2500 ml water
  • 2 ½ tsp salt
  • 1 pinch nutmeg powder
  • 1 pinch cinnamon
  • 1 tsp grated Parmesan cheese optional
  • 1 tsp fresh parsley optional, to garnish

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Heat a large frying pan on medium and once hot, add 1 tbsp unsalted butter.
  2. Once the butter has melted, add 100 g yellow onion, 25 g celery, 30 g carrot and 1 clove garlic to the pan and fry until the onion is soft and translucent.
  3. Next, push the vegetables to the edges and add 150 g ground meat to middle of the pan. Fry until browned and mix everything together.
  4. Once the meat has browned, add 1 tbsp red wine, 2 tbsp tomato ketchup, 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce and 1 pinch ground black pepper. Mix thoroughly.
  5. Add 400 g canned tomato along with 1 tsp sugar, ½ tsp oregano and 1 bay leaf. Mix well.
  6. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook until reduced by half.
  7. While it's simmering, bring 2500 ml water to a boil and add 2 ½ tsp salt. Once the water is boiling, add 240 g dry spaghetti and cook for the time stated on the packaging. (Reduce by 1-2 minutes for el dente.)
  8. Once the meat sauce has reached your desired thickness, remove the bay leaf and add 1 pinch nutmeg powder and 1 pinch cinnamon. Mix well.
  9. Drain the spaghetti and divide onto serving plates. Pour an equal amount of meat sauce on top of each portion of spaghetti. Sprinkle with 1 tsp grated parmesan cheese and 1 tsp fresh parsley (optional).
  10. Enjoy!

Notes

  • The alcohol in the wine is cooked off during the process so it's safe for kids to eat.
  • If you prefer not to use wine, you can substitute for an equal amount of grape, pomegranate or cranberry juice.