Faster, Better Spaghetti & Meat Sauce
Directions
- 1Grab a large heavy-bottom pot and place it on the stove over medium-high heat.
- 2Once hot, add a little olive oil.
- 3Add 1 lb (450g) of 80/20 ground chuck.
- 4Add 8 oz (two links) of hot Italian pork sausage, removed from casings.
- 5Crumble the meat down into lentil-sized pieces or smaller while browning for 5 to 10 minutes.
- 6Add 200g of medium-chopped onions, 20g of garlic, and a strong pinch of salt.
- 7Stir the onions and garlic with the meat, scraping the bottom of the pot to deglaze.
- 8Pop a lid onto the pot to steam the onions and preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C).
- 9After 5 minutes of lid-on cooking over medium heat, add 1g of dried oregano, 1g of chili flake, and 75g of tomato paste.
- 10Stir everything until combined and cook until the tomato paste sizzles off and loses its tinny flavor, turning orangey-red.
- 11Add 15g of Better Than Bouillon beef base.
- 12Add one 28 oz can (800g) of crushed tomatoes.
- 13Fill the empty tomato can with water and add it to the pot.
- 14Add 6 to 8 grams of salt and 7 to 8 grams of sugar.
- 15Stir everything and bring it up to a medium simmer.
- 16Add 10g of chopped fresh basil.
- 17Add 12 oz (340g) of spaghetti broken in half into the simmering sauce.
- 18Stir to get the pasta fully submerged in the liquid, being careful not to snap the brittle noodles further.
- 19Simmer the noodles for about 60 seconds to soften them.
- 20After 60 seconds, stir the noodles carefully into the sauce, pushing from the bottom and smoothing them with the back of a spoon.
- 21Kill the heat and move the pot to the preheated oven to finish cooking for 16 to 18 minutes.
- 22After 5 minutes of bake time, carefully slide the pot out and stir everything up, redistributing the moisture.
- 23Ensure noodles are submerged and load the pot back into the oven, checking in 5 more minutes.
- 24At the 10-minute mark, repeat the stirring process, ensuring noodles are below the sauce line.
- 25Load the pot back in and continue cooking for another 6 to 8 minutes.
- 26After a total of 16 to 18 minutes of bake time, pull the pot out of the oven.
- 27Determine pasta doneness by biting a couple of noodles.
- 28Add 50g of grated Parmesan cheese and stir it into the sauce.
Ingredients
- 1 lb 80/20 ground chuck
- 8 oz hot Italian pork sausage
- 200 g medium diced onion
- 20 g minced/pressed garlic
- coarse salt
- 1 g dried oregano
- 1 g red chili flake
- 75 g tomato paste
- 15 g beef better than bouillon
- 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 28 oz water
- 7 g granulated sugar
- 10 g chopped fresh basil
- 12 oz dried spaghetti (broken in half)
- 50 g grated parmesan
Equipment
large heavy bottom potmeat smoosherwooden spoon
Tips
- Physically break down the ground meat into small pieces while browning for a short cook time.
- Use the 'weeknight dice' method for chopping onions quickly.
- The moisture from onions helps deglaze the pot, adding flavor to the sauce.
- Tomato paste is a great shortcut for deep tomato flavor in less time.
- Beef bouillon mimics the depth of a slower-cooked meat sauce.
- Breaking spaghetti noodles in half helps them submerge and cook evenly in the sauce.
- Stir the pasta during baking to redistribute moisture and ensure even cooking.
- Adding grated Parmesan cheese directly into the meat sauce makes it rounder, more umami, and softens acidity.
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