Spaghetti & Meat Sauce Recipe

Prepare vegetables

Finely chop the onion and celery and grate the carrot. Mince the garlic. Measure out herbs and open cans so everything is ready (mise en place).

Sauté aromatics

In a large heavy-bottomed pot or catering steam kettle over medium heat, warm 3 tbsp olive oil until shimmering. Add the chopped onion, grated carrot, and chopped celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 6–8 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook 30–45 seconds until fragrant, taking care not to brown the garlic.

Brown the meats

Increase heat to medium-high. Add the ground beef and ground pork to the pot. Break up the meat with a spoon and spread into a single layer. Let brown without stirring for 2–3 minutes to develop color, then continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until no pink remains and meat is nicely browned, about 6–8 more minutes. Drain excess fat if more than 2 tablespoons remain.

Add tomato paste & deglaze

Stir in the 4 oz tomato paste and cook 2–3 minutes, stirring constantly, to caramelize slightly and remove raw flavor. If using, pour in 1 cup red wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up browned bits from the bottom. Let the wine reduce by half, about 3–4 minutes.

Simmer sauce

Pour in the crushed tomatoes and 1 cup beef stock. Add dried oregano, dried basil, 2 bay leaves, 1 tsp sugar, 2 tsp salt, and 1 tsp pepper. Stir to combine and bring to a gentle simmer. Reduce heat to low so the sauce barely bubbles. Cover partially and simmer, stirring occasionally, for at least 45 minutes for flavors to meld. For catering or richer flavor, simmer 2–3 hours, adding small amounts of water or stock if it becomes too thick.

Finish sauce

Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed. Remove and discard bay leaves. Stir in 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley and 1 cup grated Parmesan (reserve some for serving). If sauce is too thick, stir in up to 1 cup reserved pasta cooking water or plain hot water to reach desired consistency.

Cook pasta

Bring a very large pot of water to a rolling boil (approximately 6–8 quarts water per 1 lb pasta for best results). Add 2 tbsp kosher salt to the water. Add 3 lb dried spaghetti and stir to prevent sticking. Cook according to package time minus 1 minute for al dente (usually 8–10 minutes).

Reserve cooking water and drain

Before draining, scoop and reserve 1 cup of the starchy pasta cooking water. Drain the spaghetti in a colander and return to the pot off the heat.

Toss with sauce

Ladle 2–3 cups of the meat sauce over the drained spaghetti and toss gently to coat, adding a few tablespoons of reserved pasta water if needed to help the sauce adhere. For catering service, keep pasta slightly under-sauced so guests can add extra on their plates.

Plate or hold for service

Transfer sauced spaghetti to serving pans or chafing dishes and ladle additional meat sauce on top so there is a generous portion for guests. Drizzle with 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil if desired.

Garnish and serve

Sprinkle with reserved grated Parmesan and torn fresh basil leaves. Offer extra Parmesan and crushed red pepper at the service line. Keep hot pans at 140°F (60°C) or in chafing dishes for safe catering service.