Italian Style Sauce With Ground Beef
This recipe answers the question of what to do with the other 1/2 pound of ground beef you buy in the supermarket. Invariable when one goes into a grocery store one may have to buy ground beef in a 1 pound package. More often than not one has to decide what to do with the other 1/2 pound of ground after one has had a hamburger. Well here it is.

I originally wrote this recipe because my girl friend is allergic to one of the main ingredients you'll find in many pasta sauces. I am not mentioning it because if I do the recipe will not index correctly in the search engines. If you are really curious as to the ingredient you can find it mentioned here.

You'll also find a good recipe to help extend this recipe should you need to when company comes over. You'll also find a simple basic seasoning mix. It is for the ground beef. Use it before you cook the meat. 



Quick 1/2 lb. Italian Pasta Sauce


Ingredients:
1/2 lb.	ground beef (previously cooked okay)
1	red bell pepper
1 can	stewed tomates or diced tomatoes (14-16 oz.)
1 can	tomato paste, small (3-4oz)
1/4 c.	red wine (optional)
1 Tbsp	red wine vineager or balsamic vineager (optional)
1 tsp	ground oregano, dried
1 tsp	salt
1/8 tsp	ground black pepper
1 sprig	fresh italian basil, chopped
1 sprig	fresh parsley, italian or common, chopped
Directions:
Cook ground beef. Saute' pepper. Add remaining ingredients and ground beef, except basil and parsley, and simmer 10-15 minutes. Just before serving, remove sauce from flame and add fresh herbs. Serve with pasta.

Serves 3-4

NOTE: Subsitute 1 Tablespoon of dried herbs for each sprig of fresh herbs, if desired. Add with remaining ingredients. OR: Subsitute 3 Tablespoons total of italian herb mix. 

Italian Mix



Ingredients:
1 batch	Quick Italian Pasta Sauce
1	zuchini, chopped
1	yellow squash, chopped
1/2 can	pitted olives (14-16 oz.)
Directions:
Before final simmering, add additional ingredients. Simmer as directed. 
Basic Ground Beef Seasoning

8 parts	salt
2 parts	ground cumin or coriander
1 part	black pepper, fine ground


Aug 23 2004