Weeknight Meat Sauce

Total Time: 11 hrs 30 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 11 hrs

Ingredients

• Servings: 12
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 onions, minced
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh oregano (or 2 t. dried)
• red pepper flakes, a pinch (or to taste)
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 (28 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 2 slices high-quality bread, torn into quarters
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• 2 lbs lean ground beef (85% lean)
• salt
• pepper
• 1/2 cup minced fresh basil

Recipe

• 1 heat oil in a large skillet over med-high heat until shimmering.
• 2 add in onions, garlic, tomato paste, oregano, and red pepper flakes; cook until onions are softened and lightly browned, 8-10 minutes.
• 3 stir in wine, scraping up any browned bits and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes; transfer to slow cooker.
• 4 stir in crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, and tomato sauce into slow cooker.
• 5 mash bread and milk into a paste in a large bowl using a fork.
• 6 mix in ground beef, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper using hands.
• 7 stir beef mixture into slow cooker, breaking up any large pieces.
• 8 cover and cook until beef is tender, 9-11 hours on low or 5-7 hours on high.
• 9 let sauce settle for 5 minutes, then remove fat from surface using large spoon.
• 10 break up any remaining large pieces of beef with spoon.
• 11 before serving, stir in basil and season to taste with salt and pepper.
• 12 serve over hot cooked pasta.