Best Italian Meat Sauce Recipes

OLD ITALIAN MEAT SAUCE

Steps:

• In a large skillet, brown beef and pork over medium heat until no longer pink; set aside.
• In a large skillet, warm olive oil over medium heat and saute onions and garlic until tender; add about 1/2 cup of wine; mix well.
• Add mushrooms, rosemary, oregano and thyme to skillet and add another 1/2 cup wine; saute until tender.
• Add browned meat, tomato sauce and tomato paste to mixture; simmer for 1 hour and add the remaining 2 cups of wine.
• Simmer sauce on low for 2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally; serve.

NORTH ITALIAN MEAT SAUCE (RAGU BOLOGNESE)

Steps:

• In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add pancetta, onion, carrot, and celery and cook, stirring often, for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Transfer to a heavy large saucepan.
• In same skillet, heat olive oil. Cook ground beef and pork over medium heat, stirring to break up any lumps, until browned. Pour in the wine, increase the heat and boil briskly, stirring constantly, until almost all of the liquid has evaporated. Transfer ground meat mixture to the saucepan with the pancetta and vegetables. Set skillet aside.
• Stir the beef stock and tomato paste into the saucepan. Bring sauce to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Meanwhile, melt remaining 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat in the original skillet. Add chicken livers and saute for 3 to 4 minutes, or until firm and lightly browned. Remove livers from skillet and dice. Set aside and add to sauce 10 minutes before it is done. A few minutes before serving, stir in the cream and let it heat through. Season sauce with nutmeg, salt, and pepper to taste.

PASTA AND EASY ITALIAN MEAT SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat butter and oil in a large saucepan over medium. Stir in carrot, onion, and garlic. Add ground beef, and cook until it turns from pink to brown, about 5 minutes.
• Add tomatoes and their liquid, crushing them with the back of a large spoon. Stir in milk, bay leaf, thyme, nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Simmer 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook fettuccine until al dente according to package instructions, about 12 minutes. Reserve about 1/2 cup of the cooking water; drain fettuccine, and return to the warm pot. Add meat sauce, and toss. Add pasta water as needed if the sauce seems dry. To serve, sprinkle with Parmesan.

ITALIAN MEAT SAUCE

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven, cook the beef, sausage and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add the tomato sauce, tomatoes, tomato paste, water, mushrooms, olives if desired and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 45-60 minutes or until sauce reaches desired thickness. , Discard bay leaf. Serve over spaghetti; or cool, cover and freeze for up to 2 months.

SPAGHETTI WITH MEAT SAUCE – AUTHENTIC ITALIAN STYLE

Steps:

• In a large non-stick sauce pot, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil over medium high heat. Crumble ground beef into pot (approximately 1 inch pieces). Brown beef, stirring occasionally (I was always taught to stir constantly but this makes your beef gray, let it brown on bottom and only stir occasionally) and breaking up beef as you stir, until cooked through. Drain ground beef, reserving 1 Tbsp fat in pot. Place browned beef in a food processor and pulse until finely ground, about 10 - 15 seconds, set aside. Saute carrot and onion in reserved fat over medium high heat until golden, about 4 minutes, adding in garlic during the last minute of sauteing. Remove from heat (this will reduce splattering) and stir in 2 cans crushed Roma tomatoes, remaining 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, basil, parsley, rosemary, thyme, oregano, marjoram, sage, bay leaves, salt, pepper and browned beef. Return pot to low heat and simmer uncovered, 5 - 8 hours (yes minimum of 5 hours), stirring occasionally. Add broth to sauce to thin sauce if desired (at about 4 hours sauce will be pretty thick so if you want it any thinner just add broth to desired consistency. Also, once it reaches the thickness you want you can cover it with a lid to reduce further condensation). Remove bay leaves and serve sauce warm over pasta garnished with grated cheeses and additional chopped fresh parsley or basil if desired.

ITALIAN MEAT SAUCE WITH MEATBALLS

Steps:

• In a large skillet, cook the sausage, onion and pepper over medium heat until sausage is no longer pink; drain. Transfer to a 4-qt. slow cooker. Add the meatballs, tomato sauce, tomatoes, tomato paste, Parmesan cheese blend, garlic and seasonings. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours or until hot and bubbly., Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Cook 15 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Serve with pasta.

ITALIAN MEAT SAUCE I

Steps:

• In large pot heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over low heat. Add chopped onion and two-thirds of sliced garlic. Saute 5 minutes. Add tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, water and tomato paste. Simmer.
• Meanwhile, in large skillet, heat remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Saute remaining garlic 1 to 2 minutes. Add sausage and brown, about three minutes on each side. After browning, cover and reduce heat. Cook for 10 minutes, remove from heat, and cut sausages into halves. Add to tomato mixture.
• Cook pork over medium heat in sausage skillet until brown. Add to tomato mixture. Add 3 tablespoons parsley, Romano, oregano, salt and pepper to tomato sauce. Continue to simmer over low heat.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Cover a cookie sheet with aluminum foil. In large bowl combine ground sirloin, bread crumbs, garlic powder, remaining parsley, parmesan and eggs. Form 1 inch balls and place on cookie sheet. Cook until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Add meatballs to sauce. Continue to cook sauce for 5 hours. Serve over fusilli or ravioli.

ITALIAN SPAGHETTI MEAT SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a heavy sauce pan.
• Sauté garlic and onion, until onion is transparent.
• Then add bay leaf, ground meat, cook until meat is no longer pink.
• Stir in diced tomatoes, water and tomato paste, tomato sauce.
• Add all the spices and then lemon juice.
• Bring to a boil then reduce to simmer, uncovered for 1 to 2 hours or til sauce is desired consistency, stirring occasionally.
• Remove bay leaf and then add brown sugar to taste.
• Note: If you use ground turkey use two beef cubes or two teaspoons of beef soup base (use no salt).

BOLOGNESE SAUCE - TRADITIONAL ITALIAN MEAT-BASED SAUCE FOR PASTA

Steps:

• In a nonstick skillet saute' the pancetta until brown and crisp. Remove from pan and drain on paper towels; set aside.
• Put the pepper, carrots, celery, onion, mushrooms and garlic in a food processor; pulse until finely chopped.
• Over a medium flame, heat the olive oil and butter in a large, deep saute' pan with a thick, heavy bottom. To the pan add the chopped vegetables and lemon zest, saute' for 6 or 7 minutes - until the onions turn clear and the garlic starts to "dance". Pour all ingredients into a large bowl; reserve for later.
• Continuing to cook over a medium flame, add the sausage links to the saute' pan, breaking into bite-sized clumps with a fork while it cooks; stir often. Cook until no longer pink. Remove sausage from pan and drain on paper towels. Meanwhile, discard all but 1 tablespoon of the pan drippings and add the beef to the saute' pan. Crumble with a fork to break the beef apart; stir often. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt; cook until no longer pink.
• Lower your flame to medium-low and return the sausage, sauteed vegetables and pancetta to the saute' pan; gently stir together to blend. Add the wine and simmer until the alcohol evaporates, about 3 minutes. Add the milk, allspice, basil, oregano and pepper. Simmer until milk thickens a little - around 3 or 4 minutes.
• Stir in the tomatoes and a 1/2 cup of their juice. When the sauce starts to boil, reduce the heat so that it cooks at the barest simmer, with just an occasional bubble or two. Cook, uncovered, for 3 hours, turning down the heat if the sauce starts to scorch. If the sauce dries out before it is done, add a laddle of the reserved tomato juice or the beef broth; and check the seasoning.
• The sauce will improve steadily as it cooks, and if you have the time simmer it longer - many Italian cooks suggest that it be simmered for 6 hours, adding the tomato juice or broth as necessary. When this bolognese sauce is done, it should be rich and thick.
• Cook's Tip: The sauce can be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated for several days, or frozen for several months. Warm over low heat before serving.
• Cook's Tip: Try using all chopped veal or lamb for a stronger flavor.

ITALIAN SUGO (MEAT SAUCE)

Steps:

• Finely chop mire poix (carrot, celery and onion)with garlic and parsley in food processor. Brown ground beef well in large pan, season with salt, pepper and Italian seasonings. Drain most of the oil from pan and stir in tomato paste. Pour tomato sauce into a large slow cooker. Add meat, chopped vegetable mixture, wine, bay leaf and chicken boullion. Simmer 3 hours(until color changes from a red to a brownish color), stirring occasionally. Remove bay leaf before serving.

ITALIAN MEAT SAUCE II

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Saute onion and garlic until onion is soft and translucent. Pour in crushed tomatoes and whole tomatoes. As you are adding the whole tomatoes, let them slowly slide through your fingers and crush them coarsely on the way into the pot. Season with 1/4 cup of the parsley and 1 teaspoon garlic powder. Cover, and reduce heat to low.
• In a large bowl, mix the ground beef chuck, breadcrumbs, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/8 cup parsley, egg, milk, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix ingredients with your hands until well blended. Form into small, golf ball-size meatballs. Slice all of the sausage links but one hot and one mild link into 1/2 inch chunks.
• Heat 2 tablespoons in a large skillet over medium heat. The oil should be slightly smoking. Slice open the remaining links of hot and mild sausage, and crumble into the pan. Saute, continually breaking up the pieces, until they are all golden brown. Transfer to the sauce. Brown the meatballs, chopped sausage links, and pork bones on all sides until they are a deep golden brown. You may need to do this in stages, and continually transfer into the sauce when browned. Drain excess fat.
• Pour the red wine into the skillet and deglaze all of the brown chunks on the bottom of the pan. Let the wine reduce to about half, then transfer into the sauce. Frequently stir, and season with salt and pepper to taste for about another hour after the last meat has been transferred into the pan. Finish by stirring the remaining fresh parsley into the sauce. Spoon sauce over your favorite pasta and serve the meat on a separate plate.

NORTH ITALIAN MEAT SAUCE (RAGU BOLOGNESE)

Steps:

• In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add pancetta, onion, carrot, and celery and cook, stirring often, for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Transfer to a heavy large saucepan.
• In the same skillet, heat olive oil. Cook ground beef and pork over medium heat, stirring to break up any lumps, until browned. Pour in the wine, increase the heat and boil briskly, stirring constantly, until almost all of the liquid has evaporated. Transfer ground meat mixture to the saucepan with the pancetta and vegetables. Set skillet aside.
• Stir the beef stock and tomato paste into the saucepan. Bring sauce to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Meanwhile, melt remaining 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat in the original skillet. Add chicken livers and saute for 3 to 4 minutes, or until firm and lightly browned. Remove livers from skillet and dice. Set aside and add to sauce 10 minutes before it is done.
• A few minutes before serving, stir in the cream and let it heat through. Season sauce with nutmeg, salt, and pepper to taste.

BOLOGNESE SAUCE (AN ITALIAN TOMATO AND MEAT SAUCE)

Steps:

• Heat the butter and oil in a heavy saucepan or casserole and add the sausage, onion, celery and carrot. Cook, stirring, until onion is wilted.
• Add the beef, pork and chicken livers and cook, stirring down with the side of a heavy metal spoon to break up lumps, until meats lose their raw look. Add the rosemary, nutmeg, salt, pepper, wine and tomato paste. Stir to blend.
• Puree the tomatoes in a food processor or blender or crush them by hand. Add the tomatoes and the broth. Bring to a boil and let simmer, skimming the surface of fat, 1 1/2 hours.
• Stir in the basil and cream and remove from the heat.

ITALIAN MEAT SAUCE FOR PASTA OR LASAGNA

Steps:

• Cook sausage until browned. Drain well and set aside.
• Using the same pan heat olive oil. Cook onion and garlic until softened. Add marrow bones. Cook 5-10 minutes turning often.
• Add wine and stir well scraping bottom of pan. Cook until mostly evaporated.
• Add remaining ingredients with cooked sausage. Cook for several hours uncovered adding water if needed. It should be a deep brick color. Discard bones.
• Serve with favorite pasta.
• Note: You should use quality Italian sausage from your local butcher for optimal flavor.

OLD WORLD ITALIAN MEAT SAUCE

Steps:

• In a large skillet, brown beef and pork with crushed red chili flakes over medium heat until no longer pink; set aside.
• In another large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat and saute the onions and garlic until tender; add in about 1/2 cup red wine, mix well.
• Add in the sliced mushrooms, rosemary and oregano to skillet, and add another 1/2 cup wine; saute until tender.
• Add in the browned beef, tomato sauce and tomato paste; simmer for 1 hour; then add in remaining 1 cup wine, simmer on low for another 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Towards the end of cooking, add in the Parmesan cheese, mix to combine and heat through.

ITALIAN MEAT SAUCE

Steps:

• Place the onions, carrots, celery, and salt pork (if using) in a food processor and process to a fine paste. In a heated skillet with olive oil, brown this combination.
• Add the ground meat to the skillet and brown.
• Once the meat is browned, add the wine and cook to evaporate it.
• Add the salt, black pepper, tomatoes, tomato paste, and water. Bring to a boil and lower the heat to simmer for 2 hours covered. Stir from the bottom every 20 minutes. Be careful that the heat is not too high - it will burn.
• Uncover and simmer 1 more hour.
• Enjoy!

PASTA AND EASY ITALIAN MEAT SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat the butter and oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the carrot, onion, and garlic. Add the ground beef, and cook until it turns from pink to brown, about 5 minutes.
• Add the tomatoes and their liquid, crushing them with the back of a large spoon. Stir in the milk, bay leaf, thyme, nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Simmer for 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the fettuccine until al dente according to the package instructions. Reserve about 1/2 cup of the cooking water, and drain the fettuccine. Return it to the warm pot. Add the meat sauce, and toss. Add the reserved pasta water as needed if the sauce seems dry. To serve, sprinkle with Parmesan.
• regional ragù
• Our sauce is based on the famed Ragù alla Bolognese (sauce in the style of Bologna). The addition of milk might seem to be unusual, but it's traditional in northern Italy-where butter and cream, as well as milk, are essential to the cuisine.

ITALIAN MEAT SAUCE

Steps:

• 1. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat olive oil. Add onion and meat stirring to crumble until juices run clear. Drain, if needed.
• 2. Add remaining ingredients, reduce heat and simmer for at least 30 minutes (the longer, the better). Discard bay leaves.

ITALIAN MEAT SAUCE WITH HALF THE MEAT

Steps:

• In a large, deep skillet or casserole heat olive oil over medium heat and add onion. Cook, stirring often, until tender, about 5 minutes, and add garlic. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds, and turn heat up to medium-high. Add ground beef or veal and brown for about 5 minutes, stirring. Add cinnamon and season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Stir in roasted mushroom mix, tomatoes, sugar, oregano and thyme. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a rapid bubble over medium-high heat. Turn heat down to medium, cover partially if sauce is spluttering too much, and simmer, stirring often, until thick and fragrant, 15 to 20 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve with pasta, figuring on 1/3 cup per 3-ounce serving.

CLASSIC BROOKLYN-ITALIAN MEAT SAUCE

Steps:

• Add olive oil to a large pot over medium-high heat; allow time for the oil to heat.
• Add in the garlic and onions; stir/saute for 5 minutes.
• Add in the carrots and celery; stir/saute for 5 minutes.
• Push the vegetables to one side of the pot and add about 1/3 of the ground beef; salt the beef to taste.
• Cook about 3-5 minutes or until starts to brown (stir the beef, breaking it up as you stir).
• Push beef to the side (or over the vegetables) and repeat with the second third of the beef.
• After that starts to brown, push it aside and repeat with the remainder of the beef.
• When all the beef is done, mix the beef and vegetables together.
• Add in the tomatoes with juice, tomato paste, sugar, and oregano.
• Mix well; simmer for 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally (break up the tomatoes against the side of the pot as you stir).
• When the sauce is done, season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Serve immediately or freeze for later use.