Basic Meat Sauce

By mamacasma

Ingredients

• 4 pounds lean ground beef
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 large onions, peeled and chopped
• 4 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 3 cans (28 ounces each) whole tomatoes in juice, broken up
• 1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper

Preparation

Step 1

1. Crumble ground beef into a large nonstick pot. Cook over medium-high heat for 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour off accumulated liquid.

2. Add oil, onions, carrots and garlic. Cook for 7 minutes, stirring. Add wine; cook 1 minute.

3. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, sugar, salt and pepper. Simmer, partially covered, for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. Divide 12 cups of sauce among 3 containers. Cool to room temperature, then cover and freeze for up to 2 months. Use remaining 4 cups for Baked Ziti recipe.