The Best Pasta Sauce EVER
26 Oct
My husband and I modified a recipe for pasta sauce that originally appeared in the Pink Adobe Cookbook. The Pink Adobe is a lovely Sonoran restaurant in Santa Fe, along the Old Santa Fe Trail. I HIGHLY recommend you check it out if you’re ever in the area.
This tomato-and-meat based pasta sauce is incredible and excellent atop Rotini noodles. Don’t skimp on the simmering time – it’s needed to develop the full depth of flavor that all of the herbs and spices provide. Trust me, you’ll never crack open a jar of Prego again!!!
Preparation time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Serves six
Ingredients:
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 1/2 lb ground pork
- 1 TBSP worcestershire
- 2 stalks of celery, diced
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1/2 large sweet onion, diced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup beef broth
- 24-28 oz canned crushed tomatoes (whichever the largest size is in your grocery store)
- 12 oz (two six ounce cans) tomato paste
- 1 lb fresh mushrooms, sliced
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 1-2 tsp chili powder (depending on how spicy you like your sauce)
- 1 generous pinch EACH of dried oregano, marjoram, rosemary, basil, cumin, thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- salt and pepper to taste
- grated Parmesan cheese
Preparation:
Brown ground beef and ground pork with the worcestershire in a medium skillet. Drain thoroughly.
In a large stock pot, heat the olive oil until shimmery and saute the onion, garlic, and celery until just transparent. Add the beef broth and deglaze the bottom of the pot. Add the remaining ingredients (except the cheese), plus the cooked ground beef and pork. Stir to combine.
Bring to a LOW simmer and cook, covered, for one hour. Stir occasionally, and add splashes of beef broth, dark beer or red wine if the sauce seems too thick.
Dig around and try to find and remove the bay leaf before serving. Serve over your pasta of choice and top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Eat entirely too much. Unbutton top button of pants. Lay on the couch and groan.
Leftovers the next day are PHENOMENAL.
