John's Meat Spaghetti
Dad's simple and comforting meat spaghetti recipe featuring a rich tomato paste base, uniquely seasoned with a touch of dry mustard, red wine vinegar, and cinnamon for a deeply flavorful sauce.
Equipment
- Large pot or Dutch oven
- Cutting board
- Chef's knife
- Wooden spoon
- Large pot (for boiling pasta)
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1.25 pounds Lean ground beef (1 to 1.25 lbs)
- 1 medium Yellow onion (Finely chopped)
- 12 ounces Tomato paste (One 12-oz can or two 6-oz cans)
- 2 cups Water (About 1.5 to 2 paste cans full, adjust as needed)
- 1 teaspoon Black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Dry mustard
- 1 teaspoon Dried rosemary (Crushed slightly)
- 1 teaspoon Dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon Garlic salt
- 0.5 tablespoon Sugar
- 3 whole Bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon Red wine vinegar
- 0.5 teaspoon Ground cinnamon (Add to taste)
- 16 ounces Spaghetti pasta (Cooked according to package instructions)
Ingredients
| 1.25 pounds | Lean ground beef (1 to 1.25 lbs) | |
| 1 medium | Yellow onion (Finely chopped) | |
| 12 ounces | Tomato paste (One 12-oz can or two 6-oz cans) | |
| 2 cups | Water (About 1.5 to 2 paste cans full, adjust as needed) | |
| 1 teaspoon | Black pepper | |
| 1 teaspoon | Dry mustard | |
| 1 teaspoon | Dried rosemary (Crushed slightly) | |
| 1 teaspoon | Dried oregano | |
| 1 teaspoon | Garlic salt | |
| 0.5 tablespoon | Sugar | |
| 3 whole | Bay leaves | |
| 1 tablespoon | Red wine vinegar | |
| 0.5 teaspoon | Ground cinnamon (Add to taste) | |
| 16 ounces | Spaghetti pasta (Cooked according to package instructions) |
Instructions
-
Chop the onion into small pieces. Place the chopped onion and the ground beef into a large pot or Dutch oven.
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Cook the beef and onions together over medium heat, stirring and breaking apart the meat, until all the beef is browned. Turn off the heat and carefully drain off the excess liquid fat.
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Add the tomato paste to the pot. Fill the empty paste can halfway with water, swish it around to capture the remaining paste, and pour it into the pot. Refill the can to the top with water and pour that in as well. You should have added roughly 1.5 cans of water (about 12-16 oz total).
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Turn the heat back to medium. Stir in the pepper, dry mustard, rosemary, oregano, garlic salt, sugar, and bay leaves until everything is well incorporated.
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Turn the heat to high to bring the pot to a boil, stirring occasionally. Once boiling, reduce the temperature to a simmer.
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Cover the pot and let the sauce simmer for 30 minutes. Check occasionally and stir. If the sauce becomes too thick, stir in a little extra water.
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Remove the lid and stir in the red wine vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon. Taste the sauce, and add a little more cinnamon if desired.
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Bring the pot to a brief boil again, stir, then turn off the heat. Cover the pot and let it sit to rest and develop flavors.
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While the sauce is resting, boil a separate pot of water and cook the spaghetti according to package directions.
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When the pasta is ready, turn the heat under the meat sauce back to medium to ensure it is warm-to-hot. Stir, taste one last time for seasoning, and serve over the drained spaghetti.
Tips & Storage
- Cinnamon and dry mustard give this sauce a slightly Greek or Cincinnati-chili inspired profile. Adjust the cinnamon gradually.
- Making the sauce a day ahead allows the flavors to deepen even further.
- Storage: Store leftover meat sauce and pasta in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The meat sauce can be frozen for up to 3 months.