Neopolitan Spaghetti Sauce

Three hours on the stove is what separates this spaghetti sauce from the weeknight version. Ground beef browns slowly with onions and garlic in olive oil, then a triple hit of tomato, juice, puree, and Italian paste, simmers down in a deep kettle until the sauce turns thick and deeply concentrated.

Whole chili peppers cook in the sauce for the full simmer, releasing their heat gradually into the tomato base. They come out before serving, so you get a warm, even spice throughout rather than pockets of fire. The longer you leave them in, the hotter it gets, so pull them earlier if you prefer milder.

Sliced stuffed green olives go in during the last 10 minutes. They add a briny, slightly funky note that’s distinctly Southern Italian and not something you find in most American red sauces. That olive bite against the sweet, reduced tomato is what gives this one character.

A teaspoon of sugar balances the acidity of all that tomato without making the sauce taste sweet.

Chef Tips

• Brown the meat slowly. Rushing it with high heat creates steam and the beef simmers in its own juice instead of developing a crust.
• Use Italian-style tomato paste if you can find it. It’s usually concentrated thicker than regular paste and has better flavor.
• Stir every 20 minutes during the long simmer. The bottom scorches easily once the sauce thickens.
• This sauce improves overnight. Make it a day ahead and reheat for even deeper flavor.

Variations

• Use Italian sausage instead of ground beef for a more robust, herby sauce.
• Add a splash of red wine with the tomato mixture for extra depth.
• Stir in a teaspoon of dried oregano and a bay leaf during the simmer for a more herb-forward version.