Beef Spaghetti Sauce

Beef spaghetti sauce is the workhorse of weeknight dinners. Browned ground beef gets stewed with onion, garlic, green pepper, and a tin of tomato sauce, then perfumed with basil and oregano for the kind of simple, comforting meat sauce that ladles cleanly over a steaming pile of pasta.

Lean ground beef is the right call here, since the sauce only simmers briefly and there’s no skim step. Anything fattier (80/20 or higher) leaves an oily slick on top of the finished sauce. If you only have higher-fat beef, brown it first and drain off the excess fat before adding the aromatics.

Dicing the green pepper small (about a quarter inch) lets it soften into the sauce and contribute its grassy sweetness without standing out as bell-pepper bites. Larger chunks stay distinct, which is fine if that’s the look you want.

Adding the wine is the optional move that turns this from solid to genuinely good. The red wine reduces during the simmer, leaving behind body and a faint berry note that flatters the tomato. Use whatever drinkable red is open. Don’t bother buying special wine for the pot.

The five-minute simmer at the end is the bare minimum. Letting the sauce burble gently for 20 to 30 minutes deepens the flavor considerably and is worth the extra time if you have it. Cover most of the way to keep splatters in check.

Pro Tips

• Toast the dried basil and oregano in the hot oil for 10 seconds before adding other ingredients. It blooms the flavor.
• Salt the sauce to taste at the end. Tomato sauces vary wildly in salt content out of the can.
• A pinch of sugar balances the acidity if your tomato sauce reads sharp.
• Serve over spaghetti and shower with grated Parmesan and fresh basil.

Variations

• Stir in a tablespoon of tomato paste with the sauce for a deeper, more concentrated flavor.
• Swap half the ground beef for Italian sausage for a richer, fennel-tinged sauce.
• Add a half teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes for a gentle heat.