There’s bolognese, there’s ragu, and then there’s a plain and simple meat sauce. No wine, no extra veggies. Just a hearty tomato sauce, lots of herbs and meat.

Perfect for lasagna, baked penne casserole, or a no muss, no fuss spaghetti sauce. This is the sauce you want in you repertoire.

You can even vary what type of meat you use, depending on what your end game is.

Ingredients:

4 Tbsp evoo

2lbs ground beef

1 lb ground italian sausage, either loosely ground, or removed from casings

1 onion, peeled and chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

3 heaping Tbsp tomato paste

1 1/2 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped

1 1/2 Tbsp fresh thyme, stems discarded

2 Tbsp fresh oregano, stems discarded, chopped

28 oz canned whole tomatoes

26 oz strained tomatoes

1 cup chicken stock

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp white pepper

2 Tbsp white balsamic vinegar

1 - 2 additional tsp salt after simmering and tasting

Directions:

Bring evoo to a shimmer over medium heat, in a large dutch oven.

Add onions, stirring occasionally until softened. Add garlic, stir to combine.

Add ground meats and 1/2 tsp salt, using a spatula to break up and combine. Brown.

When meat has browned add in tomato past, fresh herbs, pepper, and an additional 1/2 tsp salt.

Cook for 5 minutes to develop flavor. Add whole tomatoes, breaking them up with scissors, or your hands, strained tomatoes, chicken stock and balsamic. Combine.

Bring to a boil.

Reduce to simmer. Let simmer for an hour. Taste for additional salt needs, adding 1/2 tsp at a time.