“What are your favorite foods?” When I was young, and an adult asked me this question, my default answer was, “Too many!” We were spoiled for choices in Japan, even when I was growing up in the ’80s. However, if anyone asked, “What do you like to eat at a Western-style restaurant?” I had a favorite dish to proclaim right away: Japanese-style Spaghetti Meat Sauce. I’ve eaten it so many times during my childhood that I would even describe myself as a spaghetti meat sauce connoisseur. I bet you might say the same, as ground meat cooked in tomato sauce and served over pasta has an appeal to kids, regardless of where you’re growing up. This Spaghetti Meat Sauce is the recipe I now cook for my kids, who, like all kids, absolutely love the dish. I prepare it the Japanese way by adding more vegetables to the mixture, making it a great way for kids to eat more veggies. Let me show you how!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
It makes for an easy yet extremely satisfying meal for the family! Deeply flavorful as it is filled with Vegetables and Mushrooms. If you want your kids to eat more veggies and nutritious food, this recipe checks all the marks. The sauce stores well in the freezer, making it an ideal dish for big-batch cooking. It will be very handy during your busy months!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Ground meat — I highly recommend using a mixture of ground beef and ground pork for the best texture. Extra virgin olive oil Aromatics: Garlic and bay leaf Vegetables: Onion, carrot, celery, and button mushrooms Red wine – A splash of red wine adds a robust taste and warm richness to the sauce. The alcohol evaporates after the food is cooked; however, if you don’t consume alcohol, I have a substitution tip for you below. Whole tomato in a can Vegetable stock/broth Seasonings: Unsalted butter, salt, and freshly ground black pepper For servings: Parsley (fresh or dried) and Parmigiano-Reggiano (or Parmesan cheese)
How to Cook Spaghetti Meat Sauce
Japanese Meat Sauce vs American Meat Sauce
Substitution Tips
Meat mixture. You can do all ground beef, Italian sausage, ground turkey or lamb, if that’s what you have. Use tomato paste and chicken/beef broth to replace red wine. The wine flavor adds complexity and a variety of tastes (acidity, sweetness, etc) to the dish that’s difficult to substitute, but if you don’t consume alcohol, you can use these instead.
How to Serve Spaghetti Meat Sauce
My kids love this meat sauce with short pasta, but I still prefer eating it with classic spaghetti. Sometimes I even boil spaghetti separately just for myself! Another delicious way to enjoy the savory, saucy meat sauce? Serve it on top of fluffy rice in a hot bowl or cast-iron plate. You can even crisp up the rice until it is nice and crispy on the bottom, then pour the warmed sauce on top. Generously sprinkle the grated cheese, add extra grinds of black pepper, some chili flakes, or kimchi (if you’d like). Mix everything up and enjoy!
More Recipes You’ll Enjoy
Pressure Cooker Spaghetti Bolognese Creamy Mushroom and Bacon Pasta Eggplant Parmesan Spaghetti Recipe Napolitan (Japanese Ketchup Spaghetti) Miso Butter Pasta with Tuna and Cabbage
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