Quick Meat Sauce
NOTE: A
traditional meat sauce must simmer for three hours to acquire its
characteristic depth of flavor. In this 20-minute recipe, mushrooms
lend some bulk and flavor to a quickly simmered sauce. Serve with
fettuccine, filled pastas (tortellini or ravioli), or even fusilli,
and pass grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese at the
table.
1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 pound ground beef, preferably chuck
Salt and ground black pepper1/2 pound button or cremini mushrooms, ends trimmed and sliced thin
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon minced fresh oregano leaves or 1/2 teaspoon dried
1/2 cup dry red wine
21/2 cups crushed tomatoes
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Heat oil in large skillet. Add beef and crumble with fork to break meat apart. Cook, stirring often, over medium heat until meat just loses raw color, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. If there is a lot of fat in pan, carefully drain some off.
2. Add mushrooms and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and oregano and cook for 1 minute. Add wine; simmer until alcohol cooks off, about 2 minutes.
3. Add tomatoes and simmer until sauce thickens, about 10 minutes. Adjust seasonings and serve.
VARIATION:
Sausage-Mushroom Sauce with Tomatoes
Replace beef with equal amount of Italian link sweet (or hot) removed from casings. Cook, crumbling sausage with fork, until pink color is gone, about 4 minutes. Add salt sparingly and proceed with recipe.