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You Will Need

Spaghetti and Meat Sauce

1 pound lean ground meat like beef, turkey, chicken or lamb

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup (130 grams) chopped onion

3 garlic cloves, minced (1 tablespoon)

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

Pinch crushed red pepper flakes

1 cup water, broth or dry red wine

1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

Salt and fresh ground black pepper

Handful fresh basil leaves, plus more for serving

12 ounces dried spaghetti or favorite pasta shape

1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Optional Ingredients, See Notes

2 to 3 teaspoons fish sauce

3 to 4 anchovy fillets, minced with some of their oil or use anchovy paste

Pinch sugar

1 leftover rind from a wedge of parmesan

Directions

Make Sauce

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat (we use a Dutch oven). Add the meat and cook until browned, about 8 minutes. As the meat cooks, use a wooden spoon to break it up into smaller crumbles.

Add the onions and cook, stirring every once and a while, until softened, about 5 minutes.

Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, oregano, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring continuously for about 1 minute.

Pour in the water and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any bits of meat or onion stuck to the bottom of the pot. Stir in the tomatoes, 3/4 teaspoon of salt, and a generous pinch of black pepper. Bring the sauce to a low simmer. Cook, uncovered, at a low simmer for 25 minutes. As it cooks, stir and taste the sauce a few times so you can adjust the seasoning accordingly (see notes for suggestions).

Cook Spaghetti

About 15 minutes before the sauce finishes cooking, bring a large pot of salted water to the boil, and then cook pasta according to package directions, but check for doneness a minute or two before the suggested cooking time.

To Finish

Take the sauce off of the heat, and then stir in the basil. Toss in the cooked pasta, and then leave for a minute so that the pasta absorbs some of the sauce. Toss again, and then serve with parmesan sprinkled on top.

Tips and Tricks

Storing/Make-ahead: The meat sauce can be made in advance and should last in your refrigerator for up to 3 days and in your freezer for about three months.
If the flavor of the sauce doesn’t pop, you probably need a bit more salt.
If the sauce is too acidic, a pinch of sugar will do the trick.
If the sauce tastes light on flavor, think about adding a few dashes of fish sauce or a few minced anchovies or anchovy paste (both add a rich, savory flavor).
Adding a leftover rind of a parmesan wedge to the sauce at the same time as adding the tomatoes adds richness and extra flavor. It won’t melt all the way, just remove what’s left before serving.
Nutrition facts: The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. We have used the USDA database to calculate approximate values.

Amount Per Serving
Calories 486
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 16.7g		25%
	4g	10%
Cholesterol 58mg		19%
Sodium 977mg		49%
Total Carbohydrate 58g		21%
	Dietary Fiber 5g	20%
	Sugars 10g
Protein 27g

Vitamin A 10%		Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 10%		Iron 6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs:

		Calories:	2,000	2,500
Total Fat		Less than	65g	80g
	Saturated Fat	Less than	20g	25g
Cholesterol		Less than	300mg	300 mg
Sodium		Less than	2,400mg	2,400mg
Total Carbohydrate			300g	375g
	Dietary Fiber		25g	30g

Spaghetti with Meat Sauce

You Will Need

Directions

Tips and Tricks

Nutrition Facts