Summer Meat Sauce
Fresh with A kick recipe for Meat Sauce
This summer meat sauce recipe is my take on my mom’s “spaghetti sauce” that I grew up with. It contains tons of vegetables, making it lighter for the summer (or all year round!) with a little kick.
what is so special about this recipe
As a young boy, I remember when my mom would put together a big pot of her spaghetti sauce. I used to stay in the kitchen with her and watch every step, because I knew what was going to come out in a matter of hours. I always loved my mom’s cooking, but this was probably my favorite. It evolved over time. She started with ground beef, and then started to add more meat to it. It started with the holy trinity (carrots, celery, onion), and more vegetables made their way into this sauce.
When I moved to Vancouver after meeting my partner, I started to miss my mom’s cooking. It was during Covid-19 and I couldn’t fly home at the time. I then told my partner that we were going to buy every thing needed and I was going to make it. My meat sauce didn’t turn out exactly like my mom’s, because I didn’t have access to the exact same ingredients, but it turned out really good. Good enough for it to be on our meal rotation when we’re craving pasta and vegetables.
why you need to make this meat sauce recipe
Every one tends to argue that their mom’s meat sauce is the best, as it is purely based in memories and emotions surrounding it. I won’t tell you this is the best one ever, but it is my favorite one. Back in Quebec, every single family has their own version of a “spaghetti sauce” (a meat sauce that you serve with spaghetti traditionally). Some use a blend of ground meats, some use only one type of meat. Variations will include more or less vegetables than this one. It is the type of sauce that mothers and grand-mothers (some men too, sure!) would put together by using what they had in the fridge.
If you do like a bolognese or Sunday sauce, but are sometimes craving vegetables in the sauce, this is the recipe for you. I purposefully chop my vegetables a bit bigger to be able to see all the colors and taste the flavors in every bite. My partner calls it my “summer meat sauce” for this reason. It is everything you love about a bolognese, with the addition of the freshness from the vegetables.
Summer Meat Sauce
Ingredients
Method
- In a dutch oven, add the olive oil and turn the heat to medium-high.
- Add the meat to the dutch oven. Break down the meat. Cook until it is mostly cooked.
- Add the onion, stir, and cook for 3-5 minutes, until onion is semi-translucent.
- Add the spices and the tomato paste to the pot and stir. Cook until the tomato paste has caramelized, 3-5 minutes.
- Add the carrots and leeks. Stir. Cook for 2-3 minutes.Add the rest of the vegetables, stir, and cook for 5 minutes.
- Slowly add your tomatoes and stir.
- Add the herbs to the pot and stir. Bring to a simmer. Cook for 2 hours covered.
- To serve: Add a few ladles of sauce to a pan. Boil your pasta of choice according to the instructions. Add the pasta to the sauce and stir until the sauce is all over the pasta. Serve with fresh grated parmesan cheese and fresh basil leaves.
