When it comes to quick family dinners we have a few staples around here that we like to stick to. First of all it’s almost always some form of Italian dinner – we all know that pasta is great for stretching a dollar and is super filling – although occasionally we jump on the enchilada train as well 😉
When I was growing up I remember my mom would always make a meat sauce with ground beef and jarred marinara sauce. When it was dad’s turn to cook dinner we would always add chopped olives and call it “dead bugs and worms,” which we loved. I can only imagine Wes will adore that name too!
Anyway, quick dinners are a must several times a week at our house, and this kicked up sausage meat sauce has been HUGE for those nights where we are literally just stopping in to eat!
See here’s the thing: it’s ready in a quick amount of time, but it also makes a HUGE batch of sauce which is great for freezing and reheating, or just for leftovers. I love serving it with pasta, but truth be told if you spread it on a pizza and just add cheese and veggies it’s pretty fantastic that way as well.
This recipe uses Ragú Old World Style® Traditional Sauce, which is made with 11 juicy tomatoes making it its richest, thickest recipe. I love the thickness of the jarred sauce and the way it adds such a great velvety texture to the finished sauce. My spin is the sausage – ground beef is great, but you really can’t beat good Italian sausage in the flavor department! You can really add any veggies you want to this; a great addition might be some shredded carrots or chopped mushrooms for extra meatiness. But let’s get real: it’s just perfect as-is!
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KICKED UP SAUSAGE MEAT SAUCE
- 1 lb. Italian sausage, removed from casings
- ½ lb. ground beef
- 2 jars Ragú® Old World Style® Traditional Sauce (about 6 cups)
- ½ cup chopped onion
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning
- salt and pepper to taste
Preheat a large pot over medium heat until very hot, about 3-4 minutes. Add the sausage, ground beef and red onion and cook, stirring constantly, until the meat is completely browned. Add the Ragú® Old World Style® Traditional Sauce, garlic and Italian seasoning. Bring to a simmer, carefully test for seasoning and add salt and pepper as desired, then turn the heat to low and simmer for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve hot with your family’s favorite pasta!
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This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Ragú®. The opinions and text are all mine.
