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5

Easy Weeknight Spaghetti with Meat Sauce

Pasta with Meat Sauce has a rich and meaty tomato sauce that takes less than 30 minutes. Just toss with your favorite pasta and serve!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: Main
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 8 servings
Author: Kristin Maxwell

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons Olive oil
  • 1 pound Lean ground beef
  • 1 pound Ground Italian sausage
  • 4 Garlic cloves peeled and minced
  • 2 teaspoons Dried oregano
  • 1/4 teaspoon Crushed red pepper flakes or more for a spicier sauce
  • 2 Bay leaves
  • 48 ounces Marinara or spaghetti sauce 2 (24-ounce jars)
  • 1 pound Pasta like spaghetti or linguine
  • 1/4 cup Chopped fresh basil leaves
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 cup Heavy cream optional
  • 1/2 cup Freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus extra for garnish

Instructions

  • Heat olive oil in a 5 quart saute pan or large pot over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and Italian sausage and cook, crumbling with a wooden spoon or spatula, for about 6-7 minutes or until the meat is no longer pink. Drain the grease.
  • Stir in minced garlic, bay leaves, dried oregano and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 minute.
  • Stir in marinara. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer on low for about 15 minutes or up to 2 hours, stirring every 15-30 minutes.
  • About 15 minutes prior to finishing the sauce, bring a large pot of water to boil. Add a tablespoon of salt and the pasta. Cook according to package directions.
  • Stir fresh basil and heavy cream into the sauce and simmer for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Once the pasta is cooked to al dente (cooked, but with a bite) add the pasta directly to the sauce and stir/toss to coat. Add 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan and toss again.
  • Divide into bowls and garnish with extra Parmesan cheese and fresh basil.

Notes

You can make the sauce and keep it separate from the pasta if you'd like to be able to freeze some for later. 
If you don't have fresh basil, a tablespoon of dried basil can be added when you add the garlic and other seasonings.

Nutrition

Calories: 612kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 92mg | Sodium: 1374mg | Potassium: 1006mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 968IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 124mg | Iron: 5mg

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