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Spaghetti with Meat Sauce – Authentic Italian Style
5 from 45 votes

Spaghetti with Meat Sauce – Authentic Italian Style

This Spaghetti with Meat Sauce combines browned ground beef, finely grated carrot, onion, garlic, and a blend of herbs simmered for several hours with crushed Roma tomatoes and chicken broth. The slow cooking melds the fresh and dried herbs with the beef and vegetables, creating a savory, thick sauce with balanced herbal notes. Parmesan cheese topping adds a salty finish to the hearty sauce, which pairs well with spaghetti or other staple pasta shapes.

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
4 hrs
Total Time
4 hrs 20 mins
Servings: 8
Course: Condiments
Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil divided
  • 1 3/4 lbs ground beef 85% or 90%, lean
  • 1 carrot finely grated (about 1/2 cup, medium
  • 1 cup chopped yellow onion
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp minced garlic (4 cloves)
  • 2 (28 oz each) cans Roma tomatoes I recommend Contadina brand, crushed
  • 1 cup (loose) basil or 1/4 cup chopped basil leaves, fresh, on stems
  • 2 Tbsp parsley chopped, fresh
  • 1 tsp dried rosemary crushed
  • 3/4 tsp thyme dried
  • 1/2 tsp oregano dried
  • 1/2 tsp marjoram dried
  • 1/2 tsp sage dried
  • 2 bay leaf
  • salt and black pepper to taste
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth to thin then more as needed, low sodium
  • Parmesan Cheese for serving, finely shredded

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. In a large non-stick sauce pot, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil over medium high heat. Crumble ground beef into pot (approximately 1 inch pieces). Brown beef, stirring occasionally and breaking up beef as you stir, until cooked through. Drain ground beef, reserving 1 Tbsp fat in pot. Place browned beef in a food processor and pulse until finely ground, about 10 - 15 seconds, set aside.
  2. Saute carrot and onion in reserved fat over medium high heat until golden, about 4 minutes, adding in garlic during the last minute of sauteing. Remove from heat (this will reduce splattering) and stir in 2 cans crushed Roma tomatoes, remaining 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, basil, parsley, rosemary, thyme, oregano, marjoram, sage, bay leaves, salt, pepper and browned beef. Return pot to low heat and simmer uncovered, 5 - 8 hours (yes minimum of 5 hours), stirring occasionally.
  3. Add broth to sauce to thin sauce if desired (at about 4 hours sauce will be pretty thick so if you want it any thinner just add broth to desired consistency. Also, once it reaches the thickness you want you can cover it with a lid to reduce further condensation). Remove basil leave stems if used, bay leaves and serve sauce warm over pasta garnished with grated cheeses and additional chopped fresh parsley or basil if desired.
  4. Recipe Source: Cooking Classy

Notes

  • The recipe makes approximately 9 cups of meat sauce, suitable for multiple servings or leftovers.