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a white dinner plate filled with pasta topped with sugo di carne
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5 from 2 votes

Sugo di Carne

My Italian Sugo di Carne recipe will change the way you think about meat sauce! This is the only meat sauce for pasta you'll ever want.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time1 hour 20 minutes
Course: Ground Beef Recipes, Sauce
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: sugo, Sugo di carne, sugo recipe, sugo sauce
Servings: 8
Calories: 226kcal
Author: Isabel Laessig

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 lb Ground beef
  • 28 oz Peeled tomatoes one large can
  • 1 small Onion chopped
  • 3 Tablespoons Olive oil divided (1 and 2 Tablespoons)
  • 3 cloves Garlic minced
  • ½ cup Red wine
  • 1 pinch Red pepper flakes
  • 4 leaves Basil fresh, chopped
  • Salt and pepper to taste

See our Beef Temperature Chart for helpful tips on cooking any cut of beef!

Instructions

  • Heat 1 Tablespoon oil over medium heat in a skillet. Once the oil is hot, add the ground beef and brown until cooked through. Drain grease, remove beef from the skillet, and set aside.
    3 Tablespoons Olive oil, 1 lb Ground beef
    olive oil heating up in a dutch oven
  • In a large dutch oven or pot over medium heat, heat the remaining 2 Tablespoons olive oil. Once hot, add in onion and minced garlic. Cook for 3-5 minutes or until fragrant.
    1 small Onion, 3 Tablespoons Olive oil, 3 cloves Garlic
    onions and garlic sauteing in a large pot
  • Pour in a can of whole peeled tomatoes and stir to combine. Mash tomatoes with the back of a wooden spoon, if you prefer.
    28 oz Peeled tomatoes
    a can of peeled tomatoes being added to the pot
  • Pour in red wine and stir to combine.
    ½ cup Red wine
    red wine being added to the in progress sugo
  • Season the sauce with red pepper flakes, salt and pepper to taste, and fresh basil. Stir to combine.
    1 pinch Red pepper flakes, 4 leaves Basil, Salt and pepper
    basil and red pepper flakes being added to the pot of tomatoes and wine
  • Add the browned ground beef with the sauce and combine well.
    the browned beef being added back into the pot
  • Let the sauce simmer for at least 1 hour, stirring occasionally. You can let it go longer if you'd like, it only gets better the longer it cooks.
    meat added to tomato sauce in a large pot to simmer
  • Serve sugo di carne with pasta and enjoy!
    a completed plate of sugo di carne on spaghetti

Video

Notes

  • Use a good quality red wine for this recipe! The wine's flavor will only get stronger and more distinct as the sauce simmers, so it's important that the wine itself tastes good.
  • You can crush the tomatoes or not, depending on the consistency you enjoy most. I like crushing half of the tomatoes and leaving the rest whole for a chunkier sauce.
  • This is a great sauce for starting early, and making extra of! Start a big batch, let it cook over an hour or more, and freeze in several-cup batches for easy dinners later on!
  • Make sure to cover the pot. If it's not covered, the liquids can boil off too much, and the meat will burn.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 226kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 40mg | Sodium: 182mg | Potassium: 385mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 123IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 54mg | Iron: 3mg