Tomato Meat Sauce for Pasta - Low Fat!

Chef #738603's Note:

Grease-free, healthy & DELICIOUS! Not too difficult, but a sure crowd pleaser! Make it Sunday, and eat it all week. Tomato-y, so always better the next day! Serve over linguine, dress fancy pasta, or dress-UP a potato! Freeze 1/2 for another day....

• Total Time: 2 hrs 30 mins
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 2 hrs

Ingredients:

Servings: 6

• 1 ½ lbs 95% lean ground beef
• 16 ounces tomato sauce
• 8 ounces crushed tomatoes
• 1 white onion
• 3 carrots
• 4 celery ribs
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon basil
• ½ cup fresh parsley
• ½ teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Crumbled ground beef, and pre-cook in dutch oven (DO NOT brown, just render the fat/water).
2. Drain pre-cooked beef (I do this in a strainer lined with paper towels). Wipe extra grease/water from bottom of pan with a paper towel.
3. Chop onion and celery; finely dice carrot.
4. Sauté onion and EVOO in dutch oven on low heat, until onion is translucent (be careful not to let onion get brown; this makes it bitter, which makes the sauce bitter. If it gets brown, throw it out & start again!).
5. Add carrot, celery, and salt, continuing to sauté until all veggies soften, stirring often.
6. Add beef, tomato, herb/spice. Stir. Cover and raise heat until sauce is simmering.
7. Turn heat down to lowest possible. Continue to simmer, covered, for at least an hour, stirring every 15 minutes.
8. If heat is too high, or pot not well-insulated, water may need to be added.
9. Add chopped parsley when you turn off the heat -- FINISHED!
10. Note: Flat-edged wooden spatulas are best for lifting sugar-laden ingredients (i.e. veggies & tomato sauce) from the bottom of a pot.
11. Alt: If you're not picky about fat, skip the 'pre-cook beef' step, and add beef directly to cooked veggies.