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THREE MEAT PASTA SAUCE OVER COOKED SPAGHETTI PASTA IN A WHITE SERVING BOWL
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Three Meat Pasta Sauce (Olive Garden Copycat)

Three meat pasta sauce is a spot on copycat of Olive Garden's hearty sauce. Featuring sweet ripe tomatoes cooked with beef, sausage and pepperoni, this sauce is delicious spooned over any of your favorite pastas!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 15 minutes
Course: Dinner, Pasta, Sauce
Cuisine: American, Italian
Servings: 6
Calories: 327kcal
Author: Meaghan - The Quicker Kitchen

Ingredients

  • 1/2 lb lean ground beef
  • 1/2 lb mild ground Italian sausage
  • 1 cup diced pepperoni
  • 1/3 cup minced carrots
  • 3 garlic cloves finely minced
  • 3/4 cup finely diced yellow onion
  • 1/4 cup minced celery optional
  • 2 cups diced RIPE tomatoes + their juices
  • 1 heaping tsp dried oregano
  • 1 heaping tsp dried basil
  • 1 heaping tsp dried parsley
  • pinch ground thyme
  • 6 oz tomato paste
  • 1 cup chicken broth
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Add both ground meats to a large Dutch oven, or other heavy bottomed large pot. Cook and crumble until completely browned throughout. Drain off all excess grease.
    1/2 lb lean ground beef, 1/2 lb mild ground Italian sausage
  • Add the pepperoni, all of the vegetables, and the herbs to the pot and stir everything together to evenly combine.
    1 cup diced pepperoni, 1/3 cup minced carrots, 3 garlic cloves, 3/4 cup finely diced yellow onion, 1/4 cup minced celery, 2 cups diced RIPE tomatoes, 1 heaping tsp dried oregano, 1 heaping tsp dried basil, 1 heaping tsp dried parsley, pinch ground thyme
  • Add the broth and the paste to the mixture, again stirring until evenly combined.
    6 oz tomato paste, 1 cup chicken broth
  • Bring the sauce mixture to a boil, then immediately reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for 45-60 minutes.
  • Serve warm with your favorite cooked pasta.

Notes

  • If the sauce cooks down too much you can add more broth, or even water, to thin it out a bit.
  • This sauce can also be made in a slow cooker- just cook the beef and sausage, then add all of the ingredients, stir them together, and cook on LOW for 5-6 hours.
  • The mixture will seem dry at first, but as the vegetables cook down it will become saucier.

Nutrition

Calories: 327kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 71mg | Sodium: 981mg | Potassium: 770mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 2062IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 3mg