Aug 27 2026
Restaurants›Blue Nile Ethiopian Restaurant and Bar›Pasta With Meat Sauce Recipe

Pasta With Meat Sauce Recipe

Inspired by Blue Nile Ethiopian Restaurant and Bar
Time1h
Serves4

Make Pasta With Meat Sauce Recipe in just 1h . Get the full recipe with step-by-step instructions at pekinthechef.com.

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Ingredients

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Pasta

Meat sauce

Method

Pasta

  1. 1

    Bring water to a boil

    In a large pot bring 4 cups water to a rolling boil. Add 1 tablespoon salt.

  2. 2

    Cook pasta

    Add 12 oz dried pasta and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until al dente according to package time (usually 8–12 minutes). Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water, then drain pasta and set aside. If desired, toss with 1 teaspoon olive oil to prevent sticking.

Meat sauce

  1. 3

    Prepare aromatics

    Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 teaspoon butter in a large skillet or medium saucepan over medium heat until butter melts and oil shimmers.

  2. 4

    Sweat vegetables

    Add 1 cup finely diced onion, 1 grated or small-diced carrot, and 1 finely diced celery stalk. Season lightly with a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and translucent, about 6–8 minutes.

  3. 5

    Add garlic

    Add 3 minced garlic cloves and cook 30–45 seconds until fragrant, taking care not to brown the garlic.

  4. 6

    Brown the meat

    Increase heat to medium-high. Add 1 lb ground beef. Break it up with a spoon and cook until no pink remains and meat starts to brown, about 6–8 minutes. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.

  5. 7

    Add tomato paste and herbs

    Push the meat to one side and add 2 tablespoons tomato paste to the pan. Cook the paste for 1–2 minutes, stirring, until it darkens slightly. Stir it into the meat. Add 1 teaspoon dried oregano and 1 teaspoon dried basil; cook 30 seconds to bloom the dried herbs.

  6. 8

    Deglaze (if using wine)

    If using, pour in 1 cup red wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up browned bits from the bottom. Simmer until the wine is reduced by about half, 3–5 minutes. If not using wine, skip to next step.

  7. 9

    Add tomatoes and simmer

    Stir in 28 oz crushed tomatoes and 1 cup beef or chicken stock. Add 1 bay leaf and 1 teaspoon sugar (optional). Bring sauce to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to low. Cover partially and simmer gently for 20–30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens and flavors meld. If sauce becomes too thick, add reserved pasta water, a few tablespoons at a time, to reach desired consistency.

  8. 10

    Finish sauce

    Remove bay leaf. Stir in 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed.

  9. 11

    Combine pasta and sauce

    Add drained pasta to the sauce pan or transfer sauce to the pasta pot. Toss pasta with meat sauce over low heat for 1–2 minutes so pasta absorbs sauce. Add reserved pasta water as needed (up to 1/2 cup) to loosen and help sauce coat the pasta evenly.

  10. 12

    Serve

    Divide pasta among plates or bowls. Sprinkle each serving with grated Parmesan (about 1 cup total for 4 servings). Garnish with extra parsley if desired and serve immediately.

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