Italian Spaghetti

This is Sunday sauce territory. Two pounds of ground beef browned with onion, then simmered low and slow for 90 minutes in a rich tomato base with black olives, green peppers, and oregano. The long simmer is what turns a simple meat sauce into something special.

Tomato sauce and tomato paste together create a sauce with both body and brightness. The paste thickens and concentrates the tomato flavor, while the sauce keeps things loose enough to coat the spaghetti. A tablespoon of sugar balances the acidity of all that tomato without making the sauce sweet.

Drain the fat after browning the beef. This is the single biggest difference between a greasy meat sauce and a clean-tasting one. All the flavor stays in the meat, the slick goes in the trash.

Pro Tips

• Brown the beef in batches if needed, breaking it into small pieces with a wooden spoon. Smaller crumbles mean more surface area for browning and better distribution in the sauce.
• Stir occasionally during the 90-minute simmer but don’t hover. The sauce needs time to reduce and concentrate.
• Cook the spaghetti just until al dente. It’ll soften slightly more when the hot sauce hits it.
• Save a cup of pasta water before draining. A splash loosens the sauce perfectly when tossing with the spaghetti.

Variations

• Add Italian sausage alongside the ground beef for a deeper, more complex meat sauce.
• Stir in red pepper flakes for a spicier kick.
• Use penne or rigatoni instead of spaghetti. Tube pasta holds chunky meat sauce better.