Hearty Italian Meat Sauce Spaghetti

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground beef
• 12 oz spaghetti
• 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 stalks celery, finely diced
• 2 medium carrots, finely diced
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp dried rosemary, crushed
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
• 1/2 cup water or beef broth

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Set aside for pasta cooking later.
2. Finely dice the yellow onion, celery, and carrots into small, uniform pieces (this is your soffritto base). Mince the garlic cloves.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, and carrot. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 8–10 minutes until softened and the onion is translucent.
4. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute more until fragrant. Do not let it burn.
5. Increase heat to medium-high. Add the ground beef, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon. Season with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until fully browned and no pink remains, about 6–8 minutes. Drain excess fat if needed.
6. Push the meat to one side of the pan and add the tomato paste directly to the cleared space. Let it cook undisturbed for 1–2 minutes, stirring it in its spot, until it darkens slightly and smells caramelized. Then stir it into the meat and vegetable mixture.
7. Add the crushed tomatoes, water or beef broth, dried basil, dried oregano, dried thyme, crushed rosemary, red pepper flakes, sugar, remaining salt, and black pepper. Stir everything together to combine.
8. Bring the sauce to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer uncovered for 25–30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened and deepened in color. If it thickens too much, add a splash of water or broth.
9. While the sauce simmers, cook the spaghetti in the boiling salted water according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water before draining.
10. Stir half of the fresh parsley into the finished sauce and taste for seasoning, adjusting salt, pepper, or red pepper flakes as needed.
11. Drain the spaghetti and add it directly to the skillet with the meat sauce. Toss well over low heat for 1–2 minutes, adding reserved pasta water a splash at a time to help the sauce coat every strand.
12. Serve immediately in warmed bowls, topped with extra parmesan cheese and a generous sprinkle of the remaining fresh parsley.