Description
A homemade version of Olive Garden’s classic meat sauce, featuring a creamy mascarpone and fresh basil swirl for added richness and flavor.
Ingredients
Scale
- 500g (1.1 lbs) lean ground beef, 85/15 or 90/10 suggested
- 30ml (2 tablespoons) extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 60g (4 tablespoons) tomato paste
- 800g (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
- 240ml (1 cup) vegetable broth
- 5g (1 teaspoon) granulated sugar
- 2g (1 teaspoon) dried oregano
- 2g (1 teaspoon) dried basil
- 1g (1/2 teaspoon) red pepper flakes (optional)
- 5g (1 teaspoon) fine sea salt
- 1g (1/2 teaspoon) freshly ground black pepper
- 125g (1/2 cup) mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
- 15g (1/4 cup) fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
- 5g (2 tablespoons) fresh whole basil leaves, for garnish
- 30ml (2 tablespoons) water or vegetable broth
- 450g (1 lb) fettuccine or spaghetti
Instructions
- Sauté Aromatics: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add diced onion and cook until translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Brown Beef and Caramelize Paste: Add ground beef and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until thoroughly browned. Drain excess fat if necessary. Stir in tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until it darkens slightly.
- Simmer Sauce: Pour in crushed tomatoes and vegetable broth. Add sugar, dried oregano, dried basil, red pepper flakes (if using), salt, and black pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer, reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for at least 30 minutes, or up to 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
- Make Mascarpone Swirl: While the sauce simmers, prepare the mascarpone swirl. In a small bowl, combine room temperature mascarpone cheese with finely chopped fresh basil and 2 tablespoons of water or broth. Stir until smooth and creamy.
- Cook Pasta: Cook pasta according to package directions in salted boiling water until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup (120ml) of pasta cooking water before draining.
- Finish and Serve: Add drained pasta directly to the meat sauce. Add 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water and toss to coat. Spoon dollops of the basil mascarpone mixture over the pasta and gently swirl through. Serve immediately, garnished with fresh whole basil leaves and black pepper.
Notes
Properly cook the onions and tomato paste for depth of flavor. Ensure mascarpone cheese is at room temperature for a smooth swirl. Reserve pasta cooking water to adjust sauce consistency.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1.5 cups (350g)
- Calories: 630 calories
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 27 g
- Saturated Fat: 11 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 63 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 100 mg
Keywords: Olive Garden copycat, meat sauce, pasta sauce, Italian-American, mascarpone, fettuccine, beef, easy weeknight meal, family favorite