Spaghetti Meat Sauce is an easy and tasty recipe that‘s served over pasta in homes and restaurants all across Japan. Combining ground beef and pork for a Japanese twist, this homemade sauce on spaghetti was one of my favorite dishes growing up!
In a large skillet, heat 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil on medium heat and cook 2 cloves garlic (sliced) and 1 bay leaf (cut in half) until fragrant.
Add 1 onion (minced), 1 carrot (minced), and 1 rib celery (minced). Sauté until golden brown.
Add ½ lb ground beef and ¼ lb ground pork. Break into pieces with wooden spoon.
Add 1 cup red wine and let it simmer until the alcohol is evaporated (no longer a strong wine smell).
Add 1 can whole tomato and break up into small pieces with a wooden spoon. Add 2 cups vegetable stock/broth and 8 button mushrooms (sliced).
Using a fine-mesh strainer, skim off the scum and foam on the surface. This process is important to achieve a refined taste. Prepare a bowl or measuring cup filled with water to clean the sieve as you skim.
Cook the sauce, uncovered, on medium-low heat until the liquid is almost evaporated, about for 1 hour. Stir once in a while to make sure the ingredients do not stick to the bottom of the skillet. When you can draw a line on the bottom of the pan with a spatula, it‘s done. Toward the end of cooking, boil a pot of water and cook the spaghetti (or pasta of your choice).
Add 2 Tbsp unsalted butter and stir to combine. Season the sauce with Diamond Crystal kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste (make sure you taste it. Don‘t be shy on salt as you will serve the sauce with pasta). Serve the meat sauce on spaghetti and garnish with chopped parsley. Top the dish with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Parmesan cheese at the table. Enjoy!
To Store
You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days or in the freezer for 2 months.