Gone are the days of mixing up some cooked ground beef and tomato sauce for an easy spaghetti dinner. Because let me tell you that adding Italian sausage to the mix is just sooo much better…and then adding chopped pancetta on top of that makes the BEST meaty spaghetti sauce recipe you’ve ever tasted! You will never go back to a plain ground beef sauce again after trying this easy combo.
My eyes were first opened to the addition of pancetta (we’d already discovered the beauty of adding sausage) thanks to the dinners my daughters have been making for their allowance (more on that here.) My younger daughter picked a rigatoni recipe that we adapted (with a completely different mix of spices and some other changes) to make it our own. The outcome is simply delicious and a great one to double while you’re at it for easy, tasty leftovers!
If you have leftovers, make this Fried Spaghetti!
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For more easy dinner ideas, try thes Ground Beef Recipes.
The Best Meaty Spaghetti Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 ounces pancetta (chopped. I like to buy it already chopped – much easier!)
- 1/2 onion (diced)
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 link mild Italian sausage (casing removed)
- 1 link hot Italian sausage (casing removed)
- 1/2 pound ground beef
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- salt (to taste)
- crushed red pepper (to taste)
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 1 15-oz can crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup stock (chicken, beef, or veggie)
For Serving
- zucchini (sauteed)
- whole-wheat rigatoni (cooked (or other noodle of your choice))
- Parmesan cheese (shredded)
Instructions
- Add the olive oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the pancetta while stirring until it begins to brown, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the onion to the pan and cook, while stirring, until it begins to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for only another 30 to 60 seconds so it doesn’t burn.
- Add the sausage, beef, Italian seasoning, salt, and red pepper flakes to the pan and cook while breaking up with a spatula until the meat is cooked all the way through (no longer pink), 4 to 5 minutes. Drain off some of the excess fat, if desired.
- Add the red wine and cook until almost all the way absorbed, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and stock and simmer to allow the sauce to thicken and the flavors to come together, 10 to 15 minutes.
- Serve warm over noodles and top with sautéed zucchini and shredded parmesan (if desired).
Incredibly easy to follow and super delicious!!!
Another great recipe! My kids loved it. This would be a great recipe to serve guest.
Great recipe. It is surely aromatic and delicious. Does it still delicious if I use ground pork? It won’t change the taste, isn’t it?
It will be a slightly different flavor, but will definitely work!
Any recommendations on brands of Italian sausage that do not have a bunch of junk in the ingredients? Thanks!
Try your local farmers market. Mine has the advantage of being pastured and humanely raised pork. Or simply make your own Italian sausage, by mixing spices into ground pork. We prefer the americas test kitchen meatball recipe, which is two parts pork and one part beef, plus parsley, roasted garlic and other Italian seasonings. I make tripple batches and freeze them for quick weeknight meals.
I agree – farmers’ market or health food store!
Pancetta browned in olive oil as the base for sauce is the bomb!! Great recipe.