The Recipe Box

Meat Sauce

1 lb. lean ground beef
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small red onion, chopped
2 cloves roasted garlic, mashed
2 tablespoons total mixed minced fresh basil, oregano, and rosemary
3 tablespoons olive oil, separated
4 cups of peeled, seeded Roma tomatoes, chopped with juice (or one 32-ounce can whole Roma tomatoes in juice)
Pinch sugar
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Red wine - I use a plain bottle-in-a-basket chianti

In a heavy saucepan, brown the ground beef in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Remove and drain of excess fat, then put aside. Deglaze the pan with a little red wine, if needed.

Add another tablespoon of olive oil, then add the red onion and minced garlic, stirring until the onion is tender. Add the tomatoes with juice, remaining olive oil, the herbs, the roasted garlic and the sugar. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally until the sauce is thickened - about one hour - then add the meat back in with a little red wine. Simmer until the meat is heated through, then add salt and pepper to taste.