Name: Quick and Easy Weeknight Pasta Sauce
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 360 min
Ingredients: 2 lbs ground beef (lean, 85%); 1 large onion (finely chopped); 5 cloves garlic (finely chopped); 1 tbsp olive oil (extra virgin); 1 tsp oregano (dried); 1 tsp basil (dried); 1 tsp Italian seasoning (dried); 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper (optional); 1 can tomato paste (8oz); 2 cans crushed tomatoes (28oz); 1 tbsp sugar (granulated); 2 tsp salt (kosher); 1/2 tsp pepper (black)

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INSTANT POT – SLOW COOKER

We all need a Quick and Easy Weeknight Pasta Sauce in our lives. One that we can have on the table in under an hour, at best under 30 minutes. And one that you can easily freeze leftovers.

The beauty of this one is that you can make it in your slow cooker or an Instant Pot. I make this sauce both ways and it’s a life saver during the week. Many times, I fly to a location for the day, return to LA and land around 6pm and just want to go home. Eating out just doesn’t sound appealing. I want to be in my jammy pants, sipping a glass of wine waiting for a quick meal to share with my husband. Another plus? It makes about 9 cups of sauce, about 3 quarts. I freeze the remaining amount for a rainy day.

The Inspo

This Quick and Easy Weeknight Pasta Sauce is inspired by the ever so lively Josie. Josie was my husband’s Grandfather’s very close friend. She said everyone should know how to make sauce. Now her sauce was a true gem. Cooked many hours carefully on the stove with fresh ripe tomatoes, basil from the garden… The real deal. This sauce doesn’t compare to hers, but it sure is inspired by her. At the time, I didn’t know how to make sauce, but I sure got on it like it was my life’s work. So here you go.. make it, enjoy it. Thanks Josie!

How To

I’m going to make this in the Instant Pot today. The beauty of the Instant Pot is that you get the all day cooked flavor in a fraction of the time. Directions for both Instant Pot and Slow Cooker will be on the recipe card. The Instant Pot I own is the 6 quart, it’s the IP-LUX. If you are new to the Instant Pot craze, it takes awhile to get used to using it. Once you “get it”., it’s a life saver during the week. I waited quite a while before I bought one..I resisted it. Now I fully understand the hype and most of all the convenience and help it offers us during the work week.

Once the sauce is cooked, you will notice it seems watery. Two things, once it cools, it sets. The consistency is great for adding meatballs or sausages. I’ve make it thicker at times by adding more meat, but I like this balance of tomatoes and ground beef. Not too much of either..just somewhere in the middle. Another thing to note is that when you freeze it and then defrost, it will be even thicker.

If you prefer a thicker sauce, you can add another can of tomato paste or drain the ground beef after its cooked.