Step into any authentic Italian grocery store, and you're instantly surrounded by the mouthwatering aroma of Briny Olives, Aged Cheeses, Crusty Breads, and Savory Deli Meats. That unforgettable scent? It’s the soul of this remarkable Pasta Sauce. Built on the bold flavors of Parmigiano, Olives, and a generous handful of Fresh Basil. Slow-simmered like a true Sunday Gravy, this Olive & Parmigiano Pasta Sauce fills your kitchen with the same rich, comforting and unforgettable fragrance as an Italian deli.
Servings: 8
Equipment
- 1 Sauce Pot or Deep Pan
- 1 Immersion Blender Optional if looking for a smooth or slightly chunky sauce
- 1 Digital Scale
- 1 Fine Cheese Grater
Ingredients
- 1 lb Ground Beef - can 50/50 ground Beef & Pork
- 1/4 C Butter
- 100 g Onion - 1 small onion diced
- 100 g Olives - chopped
- 3 Cloves Garlic - chopped
- 1/2 C Tomato Paste - double concentrate
- 1 Bottle Passata - 680 ml
- 5 C Water
- 1 tsp Sea Salt - or more to taste
- 1 tsp Black Pepper - or more for heat
- 1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning
- 1/4 tsp Chili Flakes - or more for heat
- 3 Bay Leaf
- 28+ g Fresh Basil - Added very last, can add more
- 21+ g Parmigiano Reggiano - Added very last, can add more
Instructions
- Brown Meats: Add ground meat to brown in the pan over medium heat high heat, set aside. If there is any fat, leave it in the pan.
- Vegetables: Reduce the heat to medium. Add butter in the same pan you cooked the meats in and cook the vegetables for 5–10 minutes, mixing often. Ensure you don't burn the garlic or brown the onions too much. Add the Tomato Paste, and cook another 2 minutes, mixing often.
- Pasta Sauce: Add the Passata & Water. Reserve 1 C of water to place in the bottle to shake and get all of the Passata, empty into the sauce pot to mix well. Purée with an immersion blender if you want a smooth sauce, or lightly purée for slightly chunky or not at all for a chunky version. Add all the seasoning except Fresh Basil & Parmigiano. Add the meats and mix while bringing it to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low (9 Position) and simmer for 2 hours and 20 minutes or longer to get a good, slightly thickened sauce. Mix it every so often, scraping the bottom to ensure nothing gets stuck, and more so towards the end as it thickens. If using Parmigianino rinds, these can be added to the pasta sauce to simmer and removed later. If adding Meatballs, they can go into the sauce raw to simmer during the last 30 minutes.
- Finishing Pasta Sauce: Add Fresh Basil & finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano to the pasta sauce and mix well. Remove from the heat and adjust the seasoning as you see fit with Salt & Pepper, and/or Herbs & Spices.