Pasta with Meat Sauce
By America's Test Kitchen KidsPublished on January 4, 2023
Time
1¼ hours
Yield
Serves 4 to 6
WHAT KIDS ARE SAYING
"It was easy enough to make and tasty enough that I would definitely make it again for my family!" —Amelia, recipe tester, age 10
Ingredients
1 pound 85 percent lean ground beef 2 tablespoons water 1 teaspoon plus ½ teaspoon table salt, measured separately, plus table salt for cooking pasta½ teaspoon baking soda 4 ounces white mushrooms 1 onion, peeled and chopped1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced1 tablespoon tomato paste 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1 (28-ounce) can tomato puree, opened1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, opened1 pound pasta ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese (½ ounce), plus extra for serving
Before You Begin
If you don’t own a food processor, you can chop the mushrooms and onions very finely by hand using a chef’s knife. This sauce makes enough for 1 pound of pasta. If you want to serve only 8 ounces of pasta, use half the sauce and freeze the rest for up to one month.
Instructions
- In medium bowl, combine beef, water, 1 teaspoon salt, and baking soda. Use rubber spatula to mix until well combined. Set aside.
- Use chef’s knife to trim off ends of mushroom stems and discard. Cut mushrooms in half if small or into quarters if large.
- Add mushrooms and onion to food processor. Lock lid into place. Hold down pulse button for 1 second, then release. Repeat until vegetables are chopped fine, about eight 1-second pulses. Remove lid and carefully remove processor blade (ask an adult for help).
- In large pot, heat oil over medium heat for 1 minute (oil should be hot but not smoking). Use wooden spoon to scrape mushroom mixture into pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and well browned, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Stir in garlic, tomato paste, and oregano and cook for 1 minute.
- Carefully add beef mixture. Use wooden spoon to break up meat into small pieces.
- Carefully stir in tomato puree, diced tomatoes and their liquid, and ½ teaspoon salt. Use wooden spoon to scrape up browned bits on bottom of pot. Bring to simmer (small bubbles should break often across surface of mixture).
- Reduce heat to low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens, about 30 minutes. Turn off heat.
- Meanwhile, set colander in sink. Add 4 quarts water to second large pot. Bring to boil over high heat. Carefully add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt to pot. Cook, stirring often with wooden spoon, until pasta is al dente (tender but still a bit chewy), 10 to 12 minutes. Turn off heat.
- Use ladle to carefully transfer ½ cup cooking water to liquid measuring cup. Ask an adult to drain pasta in colander. Return drained pasta to now-empty pot.
- Stir Parmesan cheese into sauce. Add sauce and ¼ cup reserved pasta cooking water to drained pasta (ask an adult for help). Use tongs to toss until pasta is well coated with sauce. If needed, add remaining ¼ cup pasta cooking water, a little bit at a time, until sauce is loosened slightly and coats pasta well. Serve with extra Parmesan cheese.
Time
1¼ hoursYield
Serves 4 to 6WHAT KIDS ARE SAYING
"It was easy enough to make and tasty enough that I would definitely make it again for my family!" —Amelia, recipe tester, age 10Ingredients
1 pound 85 percent lean ground beef
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon plus ½ teaspoon table salt, measured separately, plus table salt for cooking pasta
½ teaspoon baking soda
4 ounces white mushrooms
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 (28-ounce) can tomato puree, opened
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, opened
1 pound pasta
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese (½ ounce), plus extra for serving
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
1 pound 85 percent lean ground beef
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon plus ½ teaspoon table salt, measured separately, plus table salt for cooking pasta
½ teaspoon baking soda
4 ounces white mushrooms
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 (28-ounce) can tomato puree, opened
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, opened
1 pound pasta
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese (½ ounce), plus extra for serving
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
1 pound 85 percent lean ground beef
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon plus ½ teaspoon table salt, measured separately, plus table salt for cooking pasta
½ teaspoon baking soda
4 ounces white mushrooms
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 (28-ounce) can tomato puree, opened
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, opened
1 pound pasta
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese (½ ounce), plus extra for serving
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
A vegetarian ingredient gives this meat sauce an extra boost of savory, meaty taste: mushrooms! (We use the food processor to make quick work of finely chopping them—the tiny pieces disappear into the sauce.) Both ground beef and mushrooms are chock-full of umami taste. Umami is one of the five basic tastes your tongue can detect, along with sweet, salty, bitter, and sour. Umami is a savory, satisfying taste that comes from ingredients such as meat, mushrooms, soy sauce, tomato paste, Parmesan cheese, and anchovies. While your sauce simmers, send your young chef on a kitchen scavenger hunt to see how many umami-packed ingredients they can find in your refrigerator and pantry.
Before You Begin
If you don’t own a food processor, you can chop the mushrooms and onions very finely by hand using a chef’s knife. This sauce makes enough for 1 pound of pasta. If you want to serve only 8 ounces of pasta, use half the sauce and freeze the rest for up to one month.
Instructions
- In medium bowl, combine beef, water, 1 teaspoon salt, and baking soda. Use rubber spatula to mix until well combined. Set aside.
- Use chef’s knife to trim off ends of mushroom stems and discard. Cut mushrooms in half if small or into quarters if large.
- Add mushrooms and onion to food processor. Lock lid into place. Hold down pulse button for 1 second, then release. Repeat until vegetables are chopped fine, about eight 1-second pulses. Remove lid and carefully remove processor blade (ask an adult for help).
- In large pot, heat oil over medium heat for 1 minute (oil should be hot but not smoking). Use wooden spoon to scrape mushroom mixture into pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and well browned, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Stir in garlic, tomato paste, and oregano and cook for 1 minute.
- Carefully add beef mixture. Use wooden spoon to break up meat into small pieces.
- Carefully stir in tomato puree, diced tomatoes and their liquid, and ½ teaspoon salt. Use wooden spoon to scrape up browned bits on bottom of pot. Bring to simmer (small bubbles should break often across surface of mixture).
- Reduce heat to low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens, about 30 minutes. Turn off heat.
- Meanwhile, set colander in sink. Add 4 quarts water to second large pot. Bring to boil over high heat. Carefully add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt to pot. Cook, stirring often with wooden spoon, until pasta is al dente (tender but still a bit chewy), 10 to 12 minutes. Turn off heat.
- Use ladle to carefully transfer ½ cup cooking water to liquid measuring cup. Ask an adult to drain pasta in colander. Return drained pasta to now-empty pot.
- Stir Parmesan cheese into sauce. Add sauce and ¼ cup reserved pasta cooking water to drained pasta (ask an adult for help). Use tongs to toss until pasta is well coated with sauce. If needed, add remaining ¼ cup pasta cooking water, a little bit at a time, until sauce is loosened slightly and coats pasta well. Serve with extra Parmesan cheese.
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