Dinner made easy with this simple recipe. The sauce is great to make in advance before serving and will provide leftovers on busy days. You can feed a small group last minute or freeze it for another time. Instead of spaghetti noodles, pair the sauce with either penne, rotini or bowtie pasta.
Easy Sauté Pan Spaghetti Sauce Recipe
¼ cup diced Onion
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb ground sirloin OR ground turkey
1 can whole tomatoes, 28 oz
1 can tomato Paste, 6 oz
1 tsp powdered garlic
½ tsp dried oregano
¼ tsp fennel seed
½ tsp dried basil
½ – 1 tsp salt (optional)
¼ tsp black pepper
8 oz pasta cooked according to package instructions
Add 1 Tbsp olive oil to a 3.5 qt sauté pan. Turn on the stove to medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic to the pan and sauté just enough to smell the aroma of the garlic while the onion becomes a little translucent. Remove the onion and garlic from the pan and set aside.
Then add the sirloin or turkey to the pan and sauté until completely brown. Use a spatula to break the meat into small pieces. Cook the plant-based crumbles according to package directions.
Whole tomatoes can be a bit messy when trying to crush them for the sauce. One way to do it is to pour them into a separate bowl. While using a stick mixer, gently blend the tomatoes down to a smooth sauce or leave them in chunks. They’ll break up more while cooking.
After the sirloin or turkey is done browning, take the pan off the heat, and drain off any fat. Set the meat aside. Once the pan has cooled, add the whole tomatoes and tomato paste to the pan. Make sure the pan has cooled enough before pouring the tomatoes and tomato paste or it will splatter.
Now add back the meat and garlic/onion mixture to the pan along with the powered garlic, oregano, fennel seed, basil, salt and pepper. Turn the heat back up to medium and bring the sauce to a boil. Then turn the heat down to low and cover. Simmer for up to 1 hour or longer. Stir occasionally. If the sauce reduces too low add ¼ cup of water at a time to desired thickness. Serve sauce over pasta. Recipe makes about 4-8 servings.
Green Apple Dietitian Tips
- For fresh oregano and basil instead of dried, add 1 Tbsp fresh oregano and 1-2 tsp finely chopped Basil. Add the basil toward the end of cooking for the best flavor
- Sauce can be made the day before to save time. Cook the pasta on the same day
- Sprinkle some shredded parmesan cheese over the spaghetti for more flavor
- To make it a balanced meal, make half your plate spaghetti and the other half a green side salad, steamed green beans or broccoli
- Vegetarian option: 1 lb firm tofu, cut into small squares. Sauté with 1 Tbsp oil until brown
- Serving size approximately ½ cup sauce over 1 cup cooked pasta
Green Apple Dietitian 