Dad’s easy meat sauce is simple, flavorful, and quick to prepare. No special equipment required—just a pan, a can opener, and a good knife.
Sometimes you want a straightforward sauce without simmering all day or pulling out an Instant Pot. In about 40 minutes this sauce delivers robust tomato and meat flavor, perfect for weeknight dinners. Dad makes this often; it’s ideal over pasta or as the base for lasagna and other stuffed pasta dishes.
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San Marzano Tomatoes or Bust
When a recipe relies on a few quality ingredients, each one matters. Dad swears by San Marzano tomatoes for sauce because their bright, balanced flavor shines through without being masked by creams or heavy additions. Certified San Marzano cans are widely available, and using them will noticeably improve the sauce.
Start Garlic and Onion in a Cold Pan
Begin the garlic and onion in a cold pan. Adding garlic to a very hot pan makes it easy to go from golden to burnt in seconds, and nothing ruins a sauce faster than scorched garlic. Starting cold gives you more control and reduces the risk of burning.
Don’t Be Shy with Salt
Salt brings out the natural sweetness and depth of a tomato-based sauce. Taste as you go and adjust the seasoning—too little salt leaves the dish flat, but you don’t need to overdo it. With that, here’s Dad’s Easy Meat Sauce.
Peel and dice the white onion and garlic.
Open the cans of San Marzano tomatoes into a large bowl. Crush the whole tomatoes by hand, squeezing each one while submerged in the juice to avoid splatter.
Coat a high-sided sauté pan with extra virgin olive oil—just enough to cover the bottom—then add the diced onion and minced garlic.
Place the pan over medium-high heat and cook until the garlic begins to brown and the onion softens.
When the garlic starts to brown, add the ground beef and pork mixture. Sprinkle in 1 tablespoon garlic powder, 1 tablespoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon dried basil, 1 teaspoon dried parsley, and 1 teaspoon salt.
Cook the meat, stirring and breaking it up, until it’s fully browned. If the mixture is very lean, add a little more olive oil. If it’s fatty, drain excess grease before proceeding.
Add the crushed tomatoes to the cooked meat, reduce heat to medium-low, stir, and simmer for 10–15 minutes to blend the flavors.
After simmering, taste and adjust seasoning as desired. Dad typically adds 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon sugar to round out acidity and flavor. Serve the sauce over your favorite pasta or use it in lasagna, stuffed shells, or other baked pasta dishes.
Easy Meat Sauce Recipe
Equipment
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Deep Sided Saute Pan
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Chef Knife
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Cutting Board
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Spatula
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Can Opener
Ingredients
- 2 Cans Canned Peeled San Marzano Tomatoes (28 oz)
- 1 lb Ground Beef/Pork Mix
- 1 Medium White Onion
- 6 Cloves Garlic
- 1 tablespoon Garlic Powder
- 1 tablespoon Onion Powder
- 2 teaspoon SaltOr more to taste
- 1 teaspoon Sugar
- 4 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive OilEstimate
- 1 tablespoon Dried Basil
- 1 tablespoon Dried Parsley
Instructions
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Peel and dice the white onion.
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Peel and mince the garlic cloves.
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Open and empty the cans of San Marzano tomatoes into a large bowl. Crush the tomatoes with your hands while submerged in the juice to avoid splatter.
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Coat a high-sided sauté pan with olive oil and add the onions and garlic.
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Cook over medium-high heat until the garlic browns and the onion softens.
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Add the ground beef/pork mixture and seasonings.
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Add 1 tablespoon garlic powder, 1 tablespoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon basil, 1 teaspoon parsley, and 1 teaspoon salt.
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Cook until the meat is browned and cooked through, adding oil if needed.
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Drain excess fat if the meat was particularly fatty.
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Add the crushed tomatoes to the meat.
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Reduce heat to medium-low, stir, and simmer for 10–15 minutes.
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Taste and adjust seasoning. Dad often adds 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon sugar to balance the sauce.
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Serve over pasta or use in lasagna or other baked pasta dishes.
Video
Nutrition
Tried this recipe?Mention @DadGotThis or tag #DadGotThis!Have a little more time?
If you have extra time, try Dad’s Instant Pot Sauce with Sausage and Meatballs recipe for a heartier option.
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