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DANA'S MEAT SAUCE

MEAT SAUCE

Recipe courtesy of Chef Dana Calicchio

 
This is my Sunday go to Sauce.
When I am making a Lasagna, or Fresh Pasta, or Family coming over.
I will use sausage and pork ribs, or just Ground Beef for a meaty sauce.
Add meatballs too if you want the traditional Spaghetti and Meatballs.
  

 

  • 4 Lbs Italian Sausage, and/or pork ribs. Or 3 Lbs of Ground Sirloin or Chuck
  • 1/4 cup Olive Oil
  • 1 Large Onion, Chopped
  • 6 Cloves of Garlic Chopped
  • 3 12 OZ Cans Tomatoes Paste
  • 2 32 Oz Cans San Marzano Tomatoes
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp Black pepper
  • 2 Tablespoons garlic powder
  • 10 large leave’s or 4 TBS fresh sweet basil chopped
  • 1 Tablespoon dried basil
  • 10 leaves chopped basil
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped
  • 1 tsp crushed red pepper
  • Approx 6 Cups water
  • 1/2 cup grated Romano cheese
  • 1/8 tsp. Baking Soda, this takes the bitterness out of the sauce.

Instructions

  1. Add Olive Oil to a Large Pot.
  2. On Med High Heat, Brown meat or sausage in Olive Oil.
  3. Remove all meat and leave drippings in pot.
  4. Add Chopped Onion and lower heat to Medium. Sauté` until almost translucent.
  5. Add chopped Garlic and cook for another minute.
  6. Add Tomato paste and cook for around 5 minutes, stirring so bottom does not burn. You will get brown Caramelization. This is good and you want this for good taste, but you don’t want it to burn. This brings out the natural sugars in foods
  7. Add Crushed San Marzano Tomatoes and stir well scraping bottom of pot to remove all the Caramelization from the tomato paste and onions and meat.
  8. Cook for another minute.
  9. Add sugar, salt, Black pepper, garlic powder, all Basil, parsley and crushed red pepper.
  10. Cook for another minute and then stir in water a cup at a time and incorporate water into sauce after each addition. Add enough water to get sauce to the thickness you like. You may need to adjust water if sauce is too thick or too thin. Just omit some water or add more water if you need.
  11. Add Romano cheese and stir.
  12. Add Baking Soda and stir
  13. Put heat on low and add meat back to sauce.
  14. Cook on low stirring occasionally for around 1/2 an hour and taste.
  15. You may need to add some more salt, pepper, or garlic, or basil depending on your taste and depending on the brand of tomato paste or tomato’s that you use. 
  16. Cook 3 hours or more to incorporate all the flavors.
  17. Use this sauce to top your favorite pasta or other dishes.

 You can exchange meat for 3 Lbs of Italian Sausage and brown those and remove until sauce is mixed if you like and/or add meatballs.

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