Kids favourite! I add celery half-way through the cooking process so that it still maintains some of it crunch for an interesting surprise of flavours and textures in this dish.
Delicious Vegetable-packed Meat Sauce
Servings
4
servingsPrep time
30
minutesCooking time
40
minutesCalories
300
kcalIngredients
2 tbsp olive oil
2 lbs ground beef
1 lb sweet Italian sausage meat
1 package mushrooms, sliced
2 onions, chopped
2 bell peppers, chopped
6 oz can tomato paste
½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 15-oz can tomato sauce
1 24-oz jar Marinara sauce
1 28-oz jar crushed tomato
1 tbsp sugar
2 bay leaves
2 tbsp dried oregano
2 tbsp dried basil
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
½ tsp dried thyme
4 celery stalks, chopped
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for serving
Italian Parsley, chopped, for serving
Directions
- In a large skillet or saucepot heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and sausage and cook until it browns. Make sure to smash the sausage with a potato masher or a fork. Once browned, remove from the pot and set aside; discard most of the liquid (you can leave some of this delicious fat in the pan).
- Cook mushrooms for 5-10 minutes until they release their liquid and brown. Add onions and bell peppers and cook for another 5 minutes until translucent. Add tomato paste and cook for about a minute. Add garlic and cook for just about 20 seconds until fragrant.
- Add tomato sauce, marinara, crushed tomatoes, sugar, bay leaves, oregano, basil, salt, pepper, and thyme, and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer, and cook uncovered for at least 2 hours. Add chopped celery to the sauce after an hour of cooking.
- Serve on top of pasta with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and Italian Parsley.
