Carol's Sketti Sauce

Carol doesn’t mess around. This sketti sauce starts with two kinds of beef (ground sirloin AND porterhouse), adds leeks alongside the usual onions and garlic, throws in mushrooms, bell peppers, celery, and then lets the whole thing simmer uncovered for six hours or more until it’s thick enough to stand a spoon in.

Six tablespoons of garlic. You read that right.

Oregano, thyme, cilantro, parsley, and bay leaves build layers of herby depth while the lid stays off and the sauce slowly concentrates into something truly special.

You can serve it sooner if you need to, but the long simmer is where this sauce earns its name.

Pro Tips

• Brown the meats well before adding anything else. Get a real sear on that porterhouse and ground sirloin. That fond on the bottom of the pot is flavor gold.
• Leave the lid off the entire time. That’s the whole technique. The slow evaporation concentrates every flavor and thickens the sauce naturally without any paste or flour.
• Freeze in portions. This makes a big batch. Ladle it into freezer bags or containers and you’ve got weeks of weeknight dinners sorted.
• The sugar isn’t optional. Just a tablespoon cuts the acidity of the tomato sauce and rounds everything out.