Find a Recipe!

Just a Little Bit of Bacon

where comfort food meets the farm stand

  • Home
  • Recipes
    • beverages
    • desserts
    • grilling and bbq
    • main courses
    • quick dinners
    • side dishes
    • soups and stews
  • mediterranean recipes
    • italian recipes
      • italian comfort food
      • italian antipasti
      • fundamentals of italian cooking
    • spanish recipes
      • spanish tapas
    • french recipes
      • french comfort food
    • greek recipes
  • holiday favorites
    • christmas
    • easter dinner
    • thanksgiving feast
  • resources
    • dinner and party menus
    • farmers’ market
      • ingredient spotlight
    • roundup post
  • About
    • Privacy Policy
  • Contact

Quick Italian Meat Sauce

September 19, 2020 By justalittlebitofbacon Leave a Comment

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small commission at no cost to you when you make a purchase using my link. Click here for details.

  • Share
  • Tweet

Italian Meat Sauce is fast weeknight fare over spaghetti while also being perfect for lasagna, baked pasta, spaghetti squash, or zoodles! In 30 minutes you can be enjoying rich and flavorful comfort food the whole family will love.

Pot of quick tomato and meat sauce with a wooden spoon in the pot.

Hello, all.

As we move into fall I’m craving ALL the comfort food. I want creamy soups, stews, roast chicken, and plenty of Italian sauces over pasta. As I look over my recipe testing list, I can guarantee all sorts of cozy recipes are coming your way.

We’ll start with my amazing homemade FAST meat sauce! I love an all day bolognese as much as the next person (and have frozen portions all laid out from my last batch), but sometimes you want sauce and you want it NOW. Well here it is. šŸ˜‰

What’s to love?

  • Quick. There is very little prep here which means you can go from pulling out ingredients to cooking in a matter of minutes.
  • Umami. Tomatoes + tomato paste + anchovy + red wine + ground beef = umami bomb!
  • Versatile. Don’t want to use beef? Try pork, turkey, or a mix!
  • Pantry Meal. Everything you need for the recipe you can pull out of your pantry and freezer.

Wide bowl of pasta and sauce all topped with basil and shredded parmesan.

What do you need?

  • Ground Meat – About 1 pound of ground beef or other meat of your choice.
  • Tomatoes – I like boxed chopped tomatoes (they’re softer and have no additives), but any combo of chopped, crushed, or pureed whole tomatoes will work.
  • Red Wine – Just a bit! It punches up the flavor.
  • Anchovy – Umami. It will make your meat taste meatier.
  • Tomato Paste – The same, while also giving a deeper tomato flavor.
  • Spices – Garlic and oregano (along with some salt).

Ingredients for the recipe.

How to make this

To make quick Italian meat sauce, saute ground beef and then add garlic, tomato paste, anchovy, and wine. Stir in chopped tomatoes and oregano and simmer until done.

This is simple and fast! I’ll bring you through the steps, then you can scroll down to the recipe card and make it.

1. Saute the Meat

Using either a high sided saute pan or a mid-sized pot, saute the ground beef until it’s mostly brown and you see only a little red color left.

2. Saute the Rest

Now you are going to saute the garlic until soft and then saute the tomato paste and anchovy. This will build the flavors.

3. Reduce the Wine

Pour in the red wine and bring it to a boil. Let it reduce and boil down for a few minutes. It’ll be about reduced by half but you don’t need be too exact here.

4. Simmer the Sauce

Add in your tomatoes and bring them up to a bubble and then let them simmer gently until your sauce comes together. This will take about 15 minutes (though you can simmer it longer if that works better for your timing).

Now your sauce is done – serve it over pasta, zoodles, or spaghetti squash for a quick dinner. Or use it in lasagna, baked ziti, or eggplant parm for weekend meal.

Step by step on how to make the recipe.

Quick Meat Sauce FAQ

Can this be made ahead?

Absolutely! It’s great immediately, but also can be made a day or two ahead and reheated.

How about storage?

You can store this for 3-4 days in the fridge (in a covered container) or 3-4 months in the freezer. To use from the freezer, you can thaw overnight and then reheat or just put it in a pot while still mostly frozen and warm until thawed.

What should I do if it’s too acidic?

Here you have two choices. Either add a pinch of sugar to balance the acid with sweet, or add a pinch of baking soda to react with the acid make the sauce more neutral.

Note that too much sugar will give you a sweet sauce and too much baking soda will give you a bland sauce. So use just a little, then mix it in well, and taste.

Variations?

You can change this up in a few different ways.

  1. Use different meats. Beef, pork, veal, or turkey will work. You can also use a mix. Or you could add some pancetta in with the ground meat.
  2. Tomatoes. I like chopped here, but you can use whole or crushed and create a very chunky or smooth sauce.
  3. Herbs. Add thyme, parsley, basil, or marjoram.

Top view of a bowl of pasta toppped with meat sauce and sliced basil.

Amazing Tomato Sauces

  • Homemade Marinara Sauce
  • Pomodoro Sauce
  • Spicy Arrabbiata Sauce   

If you try my recipe for Quick Italian Meat Sauce, I would love to hear from you in the comments with your experience and rating! And I’m happy to answer any questions you might have.

You can connect with me by subscribing to my emails (see the form in the sidebar or below the recipe card), liking my FACEBOOK page, or by following me on PINTEREST.

– Stay Safe, Annemarie

You'll love my easy and quick Italian meat sauce! This homemade recipe featuring canned tomatoes and ground beef is perfect over spaghetti, pasta, or zoodles and is a great weeknight dinner. | justalittlebitofbacon.com #tomatosauce #italianrecipes #meatsauce #italianfood
Print Recipe

Quick Italian Meat Sauce

You'll love my easy and quick Italian meat sauce! This homemade recipe featuring canned tomatoes and ground beef is perfect over spaghetti, pasta, or zoodles and is a great weeknight dinner.
Prep Time5 mins
Cook Time25 mins
Total Time30 mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: meat sauce, quick meat sauce
Servings: 6
Calories: 225kcal
Author: justalittlebitofbacon

Ingredients

  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 2-3 cloves garlic, finely minced
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 2 tsp anchovy paste
  • 1/2 cup red wine
  • 2 28-oz cans (or boxes) chopped tomatoes
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • optional extras: fresh sliced basil, shredded parmesan cheese

Instructions

  • In a large, high sided skillet or medium sized pot on medium heat, saute the ground meat until mostly cooked through, about 5 minutes.
  • Add garlic and salt and continue sauteing for 1-2 minutes.
  • Push the meat aside and add the tomato paste and anchovy. Stir and cook for about 30 seconds.
  • Add wine and bring to a boil. Boil for 2-3 minutes
  • Pour in tomatoes and stir in oregano. Bring back to a boil and then lower to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
  • Stir in basil and parmesan if using.

Notes

  • Tomatoes: I use Pomi boxed chopped tomatoes in the recipe. You can use any chopped tomatoes or switch to crushed or whole (puree or break up the whole tomatoes if using).
  • Ground Beef: While I call for beef, turkey, pork, or meatloaf mix are all great variations. Note - if using turkey don't skip the anchovy! It needs the extra umami.
  • Pasta: For serving over pasta as shown in the photos, use 1 lb of the pasta of your choice. Once cooked, simmer the pasta with some of the water from the pot and the meat sauce.
Sauce in the pot and on pasta with text overlay - Italian Meat Sauce.
Bowl of pasta topped with sauce and text overlay - Italian Meat Sauce.

Related Posts:

  • 6 of My Best Comfort Food Recipes6 of My Best Comfort Food Recipes
  • Favorite Freezer Meals To Stock UpFavorite Freezer Meals To Stock Up
  • Pasta e Fagioli - Italian Pasta Bean SoupPasta e Fagioli - Italian Pasta Bean Soup
  • Slow Cooker Chicken CacciatoreSlow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore
  • Braised Beef Short Rib RaguBraised Beef Short Rib Ragu
  • Italian Braised Pork Shoulder RaguItalian Braised Pork Shoulder Ragu
  • Share
  • Tweet

Filed Under: 10 ingredients or less, 30 minute meals, fundamentals of italian cooking, gluten free, italian recipes, mediterranean recipes, quick dinners, recipe, sauces and condiments Tagged With: anchovies, beef, tomatoes, wine

« Corn, Tomato, and Farro Salad
Creamy Cauliflower au Gratin »

Follow me on:

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter

Don’t miss a post!

Get new recipes in your inbox every week!

Disclosure:

Justalittlebitofbacon is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Hello, I’m Annemarie

Welcome to my kitchen! I’m a Italian-American girl who loves fresh foods, local ingredients, and all sorts of comfort foods. Here you will find Mediterranean flavors and recipes from a New England perspective.

Don’t miss a post!

Sign up here to have new recipes delivered to your inbox every week.

Follow me on:

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Christmas Magic

Smoked salmon cream cheese dip is a great and easy holiday party appetizer and it's even better with salmon caviar added to the mix! | justalittlebitofbacon.com

Caviar and Smoked Salmon Cream Cheese Dip

Fresh cranberry sauce is the secret to these intensely flavored tart-sweet fresh cranberry margaritas. Make them by the glass or in a pitcher for parties. | justalittlebitofbacon.com

Fresh Cranberry Margaritas

For the best holiday cookies, make my easy Italian lemon ricotta cookies! These traditional cookies are soft and tender and topped with a lemon glaze and colorful sprinkles. Great for Christmas, Easter, and any other holiday or occasion. | justalittlebitofbacon.com #italianrecipes #italiancookies #cookierecipes #christmasrecipes #holidayrecipes #easterrecipes #cookies

Italian Lemon Ricotta Cookies

Baby yukon gold potatoes are sliced in half and tossed with olive oil and salt and finished with fresh herbs in these crispy oven roasted herb potatoes. They are an easy and delicious recipe for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and other holidays. | justalittlebitofbacon.com #potatoes #roastedpotatoes #thanksgivingrecipes #holidayrecipes

Crispy Herb Roasted Baby Potatoes

Tender vanilla cake is filled with fresh cranberries and orange zest, then topped with cream cheese frosting in these cranberry orange cupcakes. Great for Thanksgiving or Christmass dessert! | justalittlebitofbacon.com

Fresh Cranberry Orange Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Make ahead mashed potatoes are the best idea for a crowd at the holidays! You'll love these easy, creamy potatoes which you can make the day before. Heat them up in a casserole in the oven, in the microwave, or in a slow cooker (crockpot)! Perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, or any other holiday. | justalittlebitofbacon.com #holidayrecipes #sidedishrecipes #thanksgiving #christmas #easter #mashedpotatoes #potatoes

Creamy Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes

Reader Favorites

Homemade buttermilk blue cheese dressing is creamy, chunky and simple to make! So much better than bottled dressing. Perfect for salads, wings, and vegetable platters.

Homemade Buttermilk Blue Cheese Dressing

Easy, delicious, and full of bubbles! This pomegranate prosecco cocktail has everything you need for a great holiday drink. | justalittlebitofbacon.com

Pomegranate Prosecco Cocktail

Dinner comes together in a flash with this recipe for kid-pleasing, one-pot ground beef pasta skillet topped with pesto and ricotta. | justalittlebitofbacon.com

Ground Beef Skillet Pasta with Pesto and Ricotta

Zucchini cheddar biscuits are soft, tender and full of shredded zucchini and sharp cheddar. Just drop them onto the baking tray and go. | justalittlebitofbacon.com

Soft and Tender Zucchini Cheddar Biscuits

Slow Cooker Potato Leek Soup - Comforting, creamy, cheesy, and now even easier to make, this potato leek soup delivers all the flavor for only minutes of work. | justalittlebitofbacon.com

Cheesy Slow Cooker Potato Leek Soup

Chocolate Chip Butterscotch Bars - These one bowl bars have all the comfort of an old-fashioned butterscotch bar and the added pleasure of gooey chocolate chips in every bite. | justalittlebitofbacon.com

Chocolate Chip Butterscotch Bars

Copyright © 2021 — Just a Little Bit of Bacon • All rights reserved. Privacy Policy • Disclaimer

Genesis Framework • Foodie Pro Theme • by Shay Bocks