Best Easy Meat Sauce Americas Test Kitchen Recipes

PASTA WITH MEAT SAUCE

Steps:

• In medium bowl, combine beef, water, 1 teaspoon salt, and baking soda. Use rubber spatula to mix until well combined. Set aside.
• Use chef's knife to trim off ends of mushroom stems and discard. Cut mushrooms in half if small or into quarters if large.
• Add mushrooms and onion to food processor. Lock lid into place. Hold down pulse button for 1 second, then release. Repeat until vegetables are chopped fine, about eight 1-second pulses. Remove lid and carefully remove processor blade (ask an adult for help).
• In large pot, heat oil over medium heat for 1 minute (oil should be hot but not smoking). Use wooden spoon to scrape mushroom mixture into pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and well browned, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Stir in garlic, tomato paste, and oregano and cook for 1 minute.
• Carefully add beef mixture. Use wooden spoon to break up meat into small pieces.
• Carefully stir in tomato puree, diced tomatoes and their liquid, and ½ teaspoon salt. Use wooden spoon to scrape up browned bits on bottom of pot. Bring to simmer (small bubbles should break often across surface of mixture).
• Reduce heat to low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens, about 30 minutes. Turn off heat.
• Meanwhile, set colander in sink. Add 4 quarts water to second large pot. Bring to boil over high heat. Carefully add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt to pot. Cook, stirring often with wooden spoon, until pasta is al dente (tender but still a bit chewy), 10 to 12 minutes. Turn off heat.
• Use ladle to carefully transfer ½ cup cooking water to liquid measuring cup. Ask an adult to drain pasta in colander. Return drained pasta to now-empty pot.
• Stir Parmesan cheese into sauce. Add sauce and ¼ cup reserved pasta cooking water to drained pasta (ask an adult for help). Use tongs to toss until pasta is well coated with sauce. If needed, add remaining ¼ cup pasta cooking water, a little bit at a time, until sauce is loosened slightly and coats pasta well. Serve with extra Parmesan cheese.

AMERICAN MEAT SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion becomes translucent but does not get any color, about 10 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high, add the bell pepper, celery, garlic, a generous pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 10 minutes.
• Add the beef, a generous pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper to the pot and cook, stirring to break the meat into small bits, until browned, about 10 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and oregano and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes.
• Add the Worcestershire sauce, tomatoes with their juices, sugar and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 45 minutes.

EASY MEAT SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; saute onion in hot oil until softened, about 5 minutes. Season onion with Italian seasoning; continue to saute until the herbs are fragrant, about 3 minutes more.
• Break beef into small pieces and add to the skillet; cook and stir until browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Stir tomato sauce and diced tomatoes into the beef mixture; season with salt, place a lid on the skillet, reduce heat to low, and cook at a simmer for 1 hour.
• Splash wine over the mixture, stir, and simmer until thickened, about 20 minutes.

BASIC MEAT SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook until softened, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Add beef and cook, breaking up with a spoon until no longer pink, 4 to 5 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook 1 to 2 minutes.
• Add tomatoes and juice, breaking up tomatoes. Simmer over medium heat until thickened and saucy, 45 to 60 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.