Meat Sauce with Red Wine and Mushrooms
Meat Sauce with Red Wine and Mushrooms is a simple, flavorful pasta sauce with ground beef simmered in crushed San Marzano tomatoes with red wine, mushrooms, and spices. This is the only sauce recipe you’ll ever need.
One of my favorite ever pasta sauces is my Pasta Sauce with Turkey Sausage and Mushrooms, and it was always my go-to until January of this year. After the holidays, I had a hankering for a good pasta dinner, and I was ready to whip up a batch of my mainstay. My husband had other plans. While he loves that sauce, too, he grew up on a meat sauce his grandmother and mother made. While I never got to taste his grandmother’s sauce, my mother-in-law’s sauce is truly special, and I knew I would have to figure out something good to make one remotely as tasty. This sauce turned out better than I could have imagined, and got rave reviews from my husband, which made me very happy. I’ve made it countless times since, and I’m sorry I haven’t posted it until now. It’s been in the coughers way too long. 😉
The makings of a delicious pasta sauce always start with crushed San Marzano tomatoes for me. They’re the most flavorful tomatoes, and it’s worth the extra couple of dollars. The red wine was my added touch to get another layer of flavor in there, along with some tomato paste. Even though the San Marzano tomatoes are so flavorful, the tomato paste adds a concentrated flavor that boosts the entire sauce. I added Worcestershire for some salty umami, and sugar to cut the acidity. Add some basil, a bay leaf, garlic, and parsley to the mix, and you’ve got yourself one perfect sauce.
I can never, ever make a pasta sauce without mushrooms, so I sautéed some baby bellas and tossed those in for an even meatier flavored pasta sauce. Lots of ground beef, red wine, San Marzanos, and mushrooms — what else is there? Pasta sauces are a personal thing in the end, and they’re generally passed down through the family from generation to generation. While this isn’t my mother-in-law’s sauce, it’s my contribution to a long line of pasta sauces that we’ll be happy to eat any time. This sauce is definitely worthy of any family pasta dinner. Did I mention that it tastes phenomenal over spaghetti squash? It most definitely does! My next post, however, will involve this sauce, penne, and some cheese. Stay tuned. 🙂
Homemade Meat Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil divided
- 1 1/2 lbs. lean ground beef (I used organic, grass-fed)
- 1 large onion peeled, and chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 cup dry red wine (I used pinot noir)
- 16 ounces baby bella mushrooms stems removed and sliced
- 2- 28 ounce cans crushed San Marzano tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons tomato paste
- salt to taste
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven or saute pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat. Add the ground beef, salt, and pepper, to taste, and break up the beef into small pieces. Continue to cook until the meat has browned, and remove from the pan with a slotted spoon. Set aside.
- Degrease the pan, reserving 1 tablespoon to cook the onions. Add the onions and cook until transparent and softened, about 8 minutes, being careful not to burn. If the pan gets too dry, add more of the grease or olive oil.
- Add the garlic and cook an additional 30 seconds. Add the red wine, and reduce down to half.
- Meanwhile, in a sauté pan, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add the mushrooms, salt, and pepper, to taste, and sauté until the liquid has evaporated and the mushrooms are browned and softened, about 5 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.
- Once the wine has reduced, add the San Marzano tomatoes, basil, parsley, bay leaf, Worcestershire, sugar, and tomato paste. Add salt, to taste, then stir in the ground beef and mushrooms.
- Simmer over medium low heat for 30 minutes to 1 hour, and enjoy with pasta or spaghetti squash!
Notes
- This makes a large batch of sauce. I like to use half and freeze the other for busy week nights.
Nutrition
Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.
28 Comments on “Meat Sauce with Red Wine and Mushrooms”
I love serving a chunky meat sauce like this over pasta – so simple but so delicious! I love how it makes a big batch too, so you have plenty of leftovers!
The simple things in life are often the best, right? 🙂 Thanks, Ashley!
I love using red wine in my meat sauce. It really adds a depth and richness of flavor. And I’m totally on board with the mushrooms, as well. I put them in all my pasta sauces. This looks delicious and hearty, Marcie! And I love the idea of freezing some for later.
Red wine really does add so much, and I’m glad you’re on board with the mushrooms — they’re an absolute must! haha Thanks, Jamie. 🙂
I love mushrooms in spaghetti sauce! This really does look like the perfect meat sauce recipe!
I don’t think I’ve ever made pasta sauce without mushrooms…I could live without the meat but I gotta have my mushrooms. haha Thanks, Christin! 🙂
I love meat sauces over spaghetti! This looks fantastic and now I just want a huge spoonful of it over pasta! For breakfast ha!
Thank you, Chelsea! I’ve never had pasta sauce for breakfast, but hey, it’s worth a try! 🙂
Marcie, I love using red wine in a meat sauce. Especially really good fresh tomatoes. I’m going to have to make this one… looks absolutely divine! Loving the mushroom action, too. Sounds like your mother-in-law is very special! Have a wonderful Wednesday, my friend!
Thank you, Gloria! There’s something so comforting about a good meat sauce, and it’s even better when it includes red wine!
This sauce looks delicious! Red wine is so perfect in meat sauce. So hearty! Pinned!
Thank you, Trish! Red wine makes everything better.
I still need a go-to pasta sauce like this! I love that you added the mushrooms (my fav!). My grandma makes an awesome pasta sauce but no matter what I do it just doesn’t taste the same as when she makes it! lol She claims the secret ingredient is love … her love to be specific : )
I tried to replicate my mother in laws sauce twice and gave up — she even told me what she put in it. Maybe it was more love?
I can never seem to make sauce without mushrooms either. My daughter is going to love this. Thanks for sharing
The mushrooms are a must for me! Thanks, Kathy! 🙂
This meat sauce looks so rich and inviting! Love the recipe Marcie!
Love a good meat sauce especially one that looks this tasty and hearty! The flavors sound fantastic in here! Love adding mushrooms in a sauce and the red wine in here is perfect 🙂 Awesome recipe Marcie – especially since it makes a big batch that you can freeze some for later – pinning 🙂
Thank you, Kelly! Mushrooms and red wine can never be a bad thing. 🙂 Hope you’re having a great weekend!
San Marzano tomatoes are the best. I totally agree with spending a little more for these over other brands. I can taste a difference 😀 Your sauce or gravy, depending on where you are from, looks delicious! I love athe addition of mushrooms. I’m going to try your recipe next time we’re having pasta. Pinning!!
I can really taste the difference in the tomatoes, too! I kind of like the idea of calling this gravy…I’ll sound like I’m from somewhere else. haha Thanks, Cindy, and I hope you get to try it. 🙂
This red sauce looks fantastic Marcie! I love to buy San Marzano tomatoes too – they are the best! Baby bellas are my fav mushroom too (if one can have a fav mushroom) 🙂
San Marzano’s are the best! I’d have to say baby bella mushrooms are my favorite if I had to pick, because they’re my go-to, and I toss them in almost everything! Thanks, Deb, and hope you’re having a great weekend. 🙂
You cracked me up with that “beefing” up comment! 🙂 Thanks, Mary Frances, and I appreciate the pin!
Thank you, Juliana! It really is extra special with the wine — the flavor adds so much. Have a great rest of the weekend, my friend!
Plan to use this recipe for my domino group
I hope you and the group love it!