Spaghetti Sauce and Variations
📜 Collection: John B. Collection | ✍️ Attribution: Unattributed | 📂 Category: Entrees A deeply savory, slow-simmered meat sauce featuring a rich blend of ground meats, bacon grease, wine, and aromatic spices. Includes classic serving instructions as well as creative ideas for delicious leftovers like pizza, rice-a-roni, lasagne, and goulash.
| Prep Time | Cook Time | Inactive / Chill Time | Yield / Servings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 mins | 3 hours | None | 8 servings |
🔪 Key Equipment
- Large pot
- Heavy-bottomed skillet
Ingredients
Sauce Ingredients
| Measurements | Ingredients | Prep / Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2 lbs. | Ground Round | Ground beef |
| 2 links | Italian Sausage | None |
| 2 large | Onions | Chopped small |
| 1 1/2 pods | Garlic | Diced small |
| 2 tbsp. | Oil | None |
| 2 tbsp. | Butter | None |
| 2 tbsp. | Bacon Grease | None |
| 4 fresh | Mushrooms | Chopped small |
| 3 whole | Cloves | None |
| 2 | Bay Leaves | None |
| 3 shakes | Nutmeg | None |
| 1/2 tsp. | Rosemary Leaves | None |
| 1/4 tsp. | Oregano Leaves | None |
| 1/2 cup | Wine | Any kind |
| 1 can | Tomato Sauce | Plus 1 can water |
| 1/2 can | Tomato Paste | Plus 1/2 can water |
Serving & Variations
| Measurements | Ingredients | Prep / Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 lb. | Spaghetti | Cooked, for serving |
| to taste | Parmesan Cheese | Grated |
| 1 batch | Pizza Dough | Optional for pizza variation |
| As needed | Mozzarella Cheese | For pizza variation |
| As needed | Pepperoni Sausage | For pizza variation |
| 1 cup | Rice | For rice-a-roni variation |
| As needed | Bouillon | For rice-a-roni variation |
| As needed | Lasagne Noodles | For lasagne variation |
| As needed | Noodles | For goulash variation |
Instructions
Step 1: Sautéing and Simmering
- Take the 2 tbsp. bacon grease, 2 tbsp. oil, and 2 tbsp. butter and sauté the 2 large onions and 1 1/2 pods garlic until tender.
- Add the 2 lbs. ground round and 2 links italian sausage. Cook until brown with all the spices (3 whole cloves, 2 bay leaves, 3 shakes of nutmeg, 1/2 tsp. rosemary leaves, and 1/4 tsp. oregano leaves).
- Add 1/2 cup wine and boil briefly.
- Add 4 fresh mushrooms, 1 can tomato sauce (plus 1 can water), and 1/2 can tomato paste (plus 1/2 can water).
- Simmer for 3 hours until rich and thickened to a deep, aromatic doneness.
- Serve over cooked spaghetti and top generously with parmesan cheese.
Step 2: Leftover Variations
- Pizza: Make pizza dough and spread top with leftover mixture. Top with mozzarella cheese and pepperoni sausage and bake until bubbly.
- Rice-A-Roni: Add 1 cup rice to leftover mixture and keep adding bouillon as needed for juice till the rice is done. Top with parmesan cheese.
- Lasagne: Use leftover mixture and add lasagne noodles. Sprinkle top with parmesan cheese and bake.
- Goulash: Add a little water to leftover mixture and noodles. Top with parmesan cheese.
💡 Make-Ahead & Storage: This sauce tastes even better the next day and can be refrigerated for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
Original Recipe Scan
