Old School Spaghetti with Just Ground Beef

 

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 cup (140 g) finely chopped yellow onion (about 1 medium onion)
2 Tablespoons minced garlic
1 lb (453 g) ground beef 85 or 90% (may substitute bulk Italian sausage, sweet or spicy)
¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
¼ teaspoon cracked pepper
⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
⅓ cup (78 ml) dry red wine (or substitute chicken, beef, or vegetable broth or stock)
¼ cup (60 ml) water
28 oz (794 g) canned whole peeled tomatoes
2 teaspoons dried basil or 10 torn basil leaves
1 teaspoon dried parsley
½ teaspoon dried oregano
1 dried bay leaf
8-12 oz (226-340 g) pasta for serving – I like spaghetti

Instructions

Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat.
2 Tablespoons olive oil
Once shimmering, add onion and cook until softened (about 3 minutes).
1 cup (140 g) finely chopped yellow onion
Add garlic and cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds).
2 Tablespoons minced garlic
Add ground beef and sprinkle the salt, black pepper, and crushed pepper overtop. Cook, crumbling, until meat is browned. Drain excess grease if/as needed.
1 lb (453 g) ground beef,¾ teaspoon fine sea salt,¼ teaspoon cracked pepper,⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper
Add tomato paste and sugar to the pan and cook, stirring near-constantly until tomato paste is browned/caramelized (about 1-2 minutes).
2 Tablespoons tomato paste,1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
Drizzle red wine into the pan, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen any browned bits. Cook until the wine is reduced by about half and you can no longer smell the alcohol so strongly (about 3-5 minutes).
⅓ cup (78 ml) dry red wine
Add water and tomatoes, breaking/crushing the tomatoes with a wooden spoon or metal spatula as you cook.
¼ cup (60 ml) water,28 oz (794 g) canned whole peeled tomatoes
Add basil, parsley, and oregano and bay leaf and stir until combined and bay leaf is submerged. Simmer at least 30 minutes with an offset lid, stirring occasionally.
2 teaspoons dried basil or 10 torn basil leaves,1 teaspoon dried parsley,½ teaspoon dried oregano,1 dried bay leaf
If serving with pasta, begin cooking pasta according to package instructions while the sauce is simmering. You can serve the meat sauce over the portioned pasta or combine the two together before serving. If mixing together, reserve ¼ cup pasta water then drain remaining water from the pasta. Add pasta to meat sauce along with a splash of pasta reserved pasta water, stir well, and simmer until sauce clings to noodles (just several minutes).
8-12 oz (226-340 g) pasta
Serve, topped with parmesan cheese if desired.