One-Pot Chunky Italian Meat Sauce

One-Pot Chunky Italian Meat Sauce takes a little time to come together, but definitely worth the extra effort! Freezable and tastes better when prepared ahead of time!

The Best Italian Meat Sauce is Slow-Simmered!

Do you prefer chunky meat sauce for pasta or do you like a thinner sauce? This chunky sauce is perfect for any of your favorite pasta dishes. By slow-simmering this sauce, all of the flavors have time to become richer and heartier.

Don’t be tempted to skimp on the meat. You’ll delight in the flavors of the ground beef combined with both sweet and spicy pork sausage. As it simmers, the seasoning combines with the meat, tomatoes, and sauce, creating a deep flavor profile.

Immediately after cooking, you can use the recipe on top of your favorite pasta. You can also let the Italian meat sauce cool and then store in a freezable container for up to 6 months.

Save yourself some time by crumbling up the beef and sausage with your fingers prior to browning. This will give you more consistently sized chunks of meat and is much easier than trying to break up the meat while it is browning.

Recipes to Use this Sauce:

Chicken Parmesan with Spaghetti
Chicken Cacciatore with Spaghetti

Ingredients:

3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced
2 cups white mushrooms, cleaned and roughly chopped
2 large stalks celery, cleaned and finely chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and finely chopped
2 cups dry red wine, divided
1¼ lb. ground beef, 85% lean
1 lb. bulk sweet pork sausage
1 lb. bulk spicy pork sausage
2 28-oz. cans tomato puree
1 28-oz. can petite-cut tomatoes, undrained
2 6-oz. cans tomato paste
1 Tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons dried rosemary
2 Tablespoons white sugar
3-4” Parmesan cheese rind
2 whole bay leaves
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste

Instructions:

In a large (6 quart or larger) Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and mushrooms and cook until the onion softens and the mushrooms start to release liquids, approximately 4-5 minutes.

Add celery, carrots and one-half cup wine and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 minutes.

Add crumbled beef and sausage to the Dutch oven and cook until no longer pink inside, approximately 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat and carefully drain excess fat from the pot.  

Return to burner and add tomato puree, petite-cut tomatoes, tomato paste, and remaining red wine to Dutch oven, along with oregano, thyme, rosemary, and sugar. Stir to combine.

Add the bay leaves and Parmesan rind. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste, and stir to combine.  

Cover and simmer on low heat for 3-4 hours, stirring occasionally. If sauce is too thick, add a little water to achieve the desired consistency. If it is too thin, continue cooking until it reaches the thickness you prefer.

Remove from heat and discard the bay leaves and Parmesan rind. Taste and adjust seasonings, as desired. Serve immediately with your favorite cooked pasta and some cheesy garlic bread. Refrigerate or freeze unused portion for later use. Enjoy!

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