Italian Style Meat Sauce

I have a child who loves meat sauce on her pasta and I love her which means I needed to start making meat sauce for our pasta dinners.

I don't remember my Italian family eating meat sauce so I had to do some research to find a recipe.  My mom and my grandmother made AMAZING pasta sauce and they put meat in the sauce to flavor it while it cooked but it certainly wasn't a TRUE meat sauce. 

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To be perfectly honest, I don't remember seeing meat sauce while we were in Italy either.  I wasn't really looking for it though - I'm more of a marinara girl myself.  I'm not sure how "Italian" meat sauce really is, but it doesn't really matter.  I have a girl who loves it and I was going to figure out how to make it for her. 

Meat Sauce
4 ounces mushrooms
1 slice hearty white sandwich bread (I used a hot dog bun because it was the only white bread that I had in the house.)
2 Tablespoons whole milk
salt and pepper
1 pound 85% lean ground beef
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic
1 Tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, drained (reserve 1/4 cup tomato juice)
1 Tablespoon fresh oregano
28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup parmesan cheese

Process mushrooms in food processor until finely chopped.  Transfer to a bowl.

Add bread, milk 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper to empty food processor.  Pulse until paste forms. 

Heat oil in skillet.  Add onion and mushroom and cook until vegetables are browned. (6-12 minutes)

Add meat and pulse until just combined. 

Stir in garlic, tomato paste and red pepper flakes.

Add reserved tomato juice and fresh oregano.  (Lucky for me, I have TONS of oregano in my herb pot.)

Add meat mixture and cook until beef loses raw color.  (2-4 minutes)  Do not brown.

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Stir in crushed tomatoes and diced tomatoes.  Bring to a simmer.  Reduce heat and cook on low 30 minutes.

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Stir in parmesan cheese.  Serve with the pasta of your choice.

The verdict is in - Courtney LOVED this meat sauce.  That's really all the confirmation I need to add this recipe to my "make again" collection.  This one was a hit AND it made enough for a second meal too! 

Ciao!

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