Ultimate Roasted Tomato Meat Sauce
User Reviews
5
30 reviews
Excellent
-
Prep Time
20 mins
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Cook Time
4 hrs 15 mins
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Total Time
4 hrs 35 mins
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Servings
12
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Calories
349 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Italian
Ultimate Roasted Tomato Meat Sauce
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The Ultimate Roasted Tomato Meat Sauce features large chunks of ripe tomatoes roasted with garlic, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar until caramelized, creating a deep, sweet base. Combined with ground beef, pork, onions, tomato paste, and seasonings, it yields a savory meat sauce with layers of roasted tomato flavor. This sauce’s texture balances the roasted tomato softness with the hearty presence of meat, making it ideal for pasta or hearty Italian dishes.
Description
This sauce begins with roasting ripe tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar at high heat until the tomatoes soften and edges caramelize, concentrating their natural sweetness and acidity. Meanwhile, ground beef and pork are cooked gently until opaque but not browned, infusing the dish with meat richness without overpowering. Onions and garlic are added and softened to build savory depth.
The roasted tomatoes are combined with the meat mixture along with tomato paste, beef stock, and red wine. Herbs, pepper, and a touch of sugar balance the acidity, while simmering melds the flavors and thickens the sauce. The result is a robust, balanced tomato meat sauce with a roasted character distinct from fresher tomato sauces.
Use this sauce over pasta, as a base for lasagna, or with polenta. Fresh basil and Parmesan cheese make fitting garnishes, enhancing the sauce’s fresh and savory notes.
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Ingredients
- 5 pounds tomatoes ripe
- 1 tablespoon salt plus more to taste, sea salt
- 8 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (divided)
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 6 cloves garlic (minced; divided)
- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef (80% lean, 20% fat)
- 1/2 pound ground pork
- 1 onion about 8 oz./225g, finely chopped, large
- 6 ounces tomato paste (1 small can)
- 1 1/2 cups beef stock (or water)
- 1/2 cup red wine that you enjoy drinking, dry
- 2 teaspoons oregano dried
- 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper freshly ground
- 1 tablespoon sugar (or to taste)
- basil fresh
- Parmesan Cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C. Cut the tomatoes into relatively large chunks. If using cherry or grape tomatoes, you can halve them or leave them whole.
- Toss the tomatoes with 1 tablespoon salt, 4 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, and 3 cloves of minced garlic. Then arrange them in a single layer across two large rimmed baking sheets.
- Roast for 1 hour in the middle of the oven, stirring once or twice. The tomatoes should look wrinkled, with slight caramelization on the edges.
- About 15 minutes before your tomatoes are done roasting, place a large dutch oven or deep pot over medium high heat. Add 4 tablespoons of olive oil, along with the ground beef and pork. Stir, breaking up the chunks of ground meat into small crumbles. There is no need to brown or crisp them meat—cook just until it turns opaque.
- Add the chopped onion and last 3 cloves of minced garlic. Season with salt and pepper, and cook for another 5 minutes.
- By now the tomatoes should be done roasting. Add them to the pot, along with all their juices. Also add the tomato paste, beef stock, red wine, dried oregano, and black pepper, and sugar. Stir and bring to a low boil. Cover, turn down the heat, and simmer for 3 hours. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning (salt, pepper, sugar) if needed. (At this point, you could serve the sauce with pasta, but we think it tastes best the next day. If you have time for this, allow it to cool, and refrigerate overnight.
- When you’re ready to serve, heat the sauce back up on the stove. Boil pasta (we like using spaghetti, but any cut of pasta will work) according to package directions, cooking it for 1 minute less than prescribed. (It will finish cooking in the sauce.) When the pasta is just under al dente (again, 1 minute less than the minimum cooking time on the package instructions), drain it, reserving about ½-⅔ cup of pasta water.
- Immediately add the pasta back to the pot, and ladle in the hot meat sauce, along with about ⅓ cup of hot pasta cooking water. Toss the pasta for 1 minute, giving it time to absorb the liquid from the sauce and cooking water.
- Serve the pasta with fresh basil and parmesan cheese on top, along with an extra drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and cracked black pepper. Enjoy!
Notes
- Nutrition details provided refer only to the sauce component without pasta or toppings.
Nutrition Information
Show Details
Calories
349kcal
(17%)
Carbohydrates
14g
(5%)
Protein
16g
(32%)
Fat
25g
(38%)
Saturated Fat
7g
(35%)
Cholesterol
54mg
(18%)
Sodium
762mg
(32%)
Potassium
854mg
(18%)
Fiber
3g
(12%)
Sugar
9g
(18%)
Vitamin A
1796IU
(36%)
Vitamin C
30mg
(33%)
Calcium
49mg
(5%)
Iron
3mg
(17%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 12Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 349 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 349kcal | 17% |
| Carbohydrates | 14g | 5% |
| Protein | 16g | 32% |
| Fat | 25g | 38% |
| Saturated Fat | 7g | 35% |
| Cholesterol | 54mg | 18% |
| Sodium | 762mg | 32% |
| Potassium | 854mg | 18% |
| Fiber | 3g | 12% |
| Sugar | 9g | 18% |
| Vitamin A | 1796IU | 36% |
| Vitamin C | 30mg | 33% |
| Calcium | 49mg | 5% |
| Iron | 3mg | 17% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
30 reviews
Excellent
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