Magic Meat Sauce
Use this Magic Meat Sauce for pasta, as layer in lasagna, or even for nachos. True to its name, every bite of this meat sauce recipe is magical and loaded with flavor!
Servings: 6 people
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 medium onion , ends trimmed, peeled and quartered
- 4 cloves garlic , roughly chopped
- 1 cup beef broth
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Pinch red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Add the onion, garlic, and beef broth to a blender. Blend until smooth and saucy.
- Warm olive oil in large nonstick pan. Add the beef and brown, breaking it up into tiny crumbles until no pink remains. Drain off the grease.
- Stir in the tomato paste and all the seasonings until incorporated.
- Then pour in the magic sauce until combined and no longer white. Bring to a bubble, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer (about medium-low.)
- Cover with the lid slightly cracked and gently simmer for 30 to 45 minutes until the liquid has mostly been absorbed, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking to the pan. (You can let it simmer longer, if desired. The longer it cooks, the thicker it will get and the deeper the flavors will be.)
- If your meat sauce is thicker than you'd like it to be, thin it out with a bit of extra beef broth.
- Enjoy over pasta, for a layer in lasagna, or as a topping for nachos.
Video
Notes
Other ground meat options. This sauce will work with all ground beef or a 50/50 combination of ground beef and ground pork. You could also swap the beef with ground turkey, but note that it's a leaner meat and the sauce also won't be as flavorful.
Adjust the cook time. The longer it cooks, the deeper the flavors will be. I recommend 30 minutes as a minimum so the beef can absorb the sauce, but feel free to simmer longer, stirring occasionally and adding more broth if necessary to avoid it from drying out.
Thin the sauce. If the sauce is thicker than you'd like when you finish simmering, you can thin it out by adding an extra splash or two of beef broth.
Add a bit of cream. Try adding in a splash of heavy cream at the end of cooking for a richer, creamier result.
Nutrition
Calories: 140kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 47mg | Sodium: 629mg | Potassium: 375mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 248IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 2mg