Creamy Chicken and Carrot Spread – Silky, Savory, and Perfect for Sandwiches or Snacking

Monday Night Meat Sauce for Pasta

A weeknight-friendly pasta sauce that tastes like it simmered all Sunday. This is your dependable, rich, and cozy meat sauce—perfect for twirling through spaghetti, spooning over rigatoni, or layering into lasagna. Minimal prep, maximum flavor, and adaptable to whatever you have on hand.

Why You’ll Love This Sauce

• Weeknight-fast, weekend-flavor: Smart techniques—like blooming tomato paste and building a quick soffritto—deliver depth without hours on the stove.
• Pantry-powered: Uses everyday staples (onion, canned tomatoes, ground meat, garlic) and still tastes restaurant-worthy.
• Flexible: Swap beef for turkey, chicken, Italian sausage, or plant-based crumbles; choose wine or broth; finish with butter or olive oil.
• Make-ahead & freezer-ready: Doubles easily and freezes perfectly for stress-free future dinners.
• Family-approved: Savory, balanced, and not too spicy—kids love it, grownups crave it.

Ingredients (Serves 6–8)

• 2 tbsp olive oil (plus more if needed)
• 1 lb (450 g) ground beef (80–90% lean) or turkey, chicken, or plant-based
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
• 1 medium carrot, finely diced
• 1 small celery stalk, finely diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1/2 cup dry red wine (or beef/veg broth)
• 1 can (28 oz / 800 g) crushed tomatoes or whole peeled, hand-crushed
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp dried basil (or 1 tbsp fresh at the end)
• 1 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp sugar or 1 grated carrot (optional, to balance acidity)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 cup milk or half-and-half (optional, for silkiness)
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter or extra-virgin olive oil, to finish
• Red pepper flakes, pinch (optional)
• Fresh basil or parsley, chopped, for garnish
• Freshly grated Parmesan, for serving

Step-by-Step: Monday Night Efficiency, Sunday Depth

1) Brown the Meat

1. Heat a large, heavy pot (Dutch oven or deep skillet) over medium-high. Add olive oil, then the ground meat. Break into chunks and cook without stirring for 2–3 minutes to develop browned bits.
2. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink and browned in spots (6–8 minutes). Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. If lots of fat renders, spoon off excess, leaving ~1–2 tbsp for flavor.

2) Build the Soffritto

1. Reduce heat to medium. Add onion, carrot, and celery with a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, until softened and lightly golden, 5–7 minutes. If the pot looks dry, add a drizzle of oil.
2. Stir in garlic and cook 30–60 seconds until fragrant (don’t brown).

3) Bloom the Tomato Paste

1. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, 1–2 minutes until the color deepens brick-red and smells sweet. This step unlocks big flavor quickly.

4) Deglaze & Build the Base

1. Pour in wine (or broth). Scrape up browned bits from the bottom—this is pure flavor. Simmer 1–2 minutes to reduce slightly.
2. Add crushed tomatoes, oregano, basil, bay leaf, and sugar (or grated carrot, if using). Season with 1 tsp salt and the pepper. If you like a gentle warmth, add a pinch of red pepper flakes.

5) Simmer to Marry Flavors

1. Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low. Partially cover and cook 20–30 minutes, stirring now and then, until slightly thickened and glossy. If it gets too thick, add a splash of water or broth; if too thin, simmer uncovered the last 5–10 minutes.

6) Finish Like a Pro

1. Remove the bay leaf. Stir in milk (or half-and-half) for a softer, rounded finish, then swirl in butter or a glug of extra-virgin olive oil for sheen and body.
2. Taste and adjust: more salt for pop, a pinch of sugar for balance, or a splash of wine/balsamic for brightness. Finish with chopped basil or parsley.

Texture target: The sauce should coat a spoon, not run off like soup. Aim for a gently thick, glossy consistency that clings to pasta.

Cook the Pasta Like a Pro

1. Boil a large pot of water and salt it generously (it should taste like the sea).
2. Cook pasta until just shy of al dente. Reserve 1 cup of starchy pasta water.
3. Transfer pasta to the pot of sauce and toss over low heat, adding splashes of pasta water as needed to make a silky emulsion that clings to every strand.
4. Off heat, toss in a handful of grated Parmesan and serve immediately.

Ingredient Swaps & Flavor Boosters

• Meat options: Beef is classic; try 50/50 beef–chiken for extra richness, or turkey for leaner. Plant-based crumbles work well—add a splash of soy sauce for umami.
• Wine-free: Use beef or vegetable broth with 1 tsp balsamic vinegar to mimic wine’s acidity.
• Umami upgrade: Add 1 tsp fish sauce, 1 finely minced anchovy, or 1 tsp white miso when you add tomato paste—no fishy taste, just depth.
• Herb harmony: Keep dried oregano in the simmer; save fresh basil/parsley for the finish to preserve brightness.
• Creaminess: Milk gives a velvet texture; for dairy-free, use oat milk and finish with olive oil.
• Vegetable boost: Finely chop mushrooms and sauté with the soffritto; they disappear into the sauce and add savoriness.

Speed Hacks for a True Monday Night

• Grate the veggies: Use the large holes of a box grater or a processor to speed up the soffritto.
• Use tomato passata: Smooth, pre-sieved tomatoes reduce simmer time.
• Skip the wine step: Use a squeeze of lemon at the end for brightness if you’re very short on time.
• Make once, eat twice: Double the sauce and freeze half in dinner-size portions.

Instant Pot & Slow Cooker Methods

Instant Pot

1. On Sauté, brown meat in oil; add onion, carrot, celery, and cook 3–4 minutes.
2. Stir in garlic and tomato paste; cook 1 minute. Deglaze with wine/broth.
3. Add tomatoes, herbs, salt, pepper, bay leaf (no milk yet). Seal and cook High Pressure 10 minutes; natural release 10 minutes.
4. Stir in milk and butter; simmer on Sauté if you need to thicken.

Slow Cooker

1. Sauté meat and soffritto in a skillet; bloom tomato paste; deglaze with wine.
2. Transfer to slow cooker with tomatoes, herbs, salt, pepper, bay leaf. Cook Low 6–8 hours or High 3–4 hours.
3. Stir in milk and butter in the last 20 minutes. Adjust seasoning and serve.

What Pasta to Use

• Long cuts: Spaghetti, bucatini, or fettuccine—great for clingy sauces.
• Short shapes: Rigatoni, penne, ziti, or fusilli—tubes and spirals trap meaty bits.
• Fresh pasta: Cooks quickly; undercook by a minute and finish in the sauce.

Serving Ideas & Pairings

• Top with Parmesan, a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, and torn basil.
• Serve with a simple green salad (lemon vinaigrette) and garlicky bread.
• Spoon leftovers onto toasted ciabatta for sloppy-giuseppe sandwiches.
• Layer into lasagna or bake into a cheesy pasta casserole later in the week.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I fix a too-acidic sauce? Add a knob of butter, a splash of milk, or a pinch of sugar. Simmer 5 more minutes and taste again.

Too thin? Simmer uncovered to reduce, or stir in 1–2 tbsp tomato paste and cook 3–4 minutes. Pasta water also helps emulsify when you toss with pasta.

Too thick? Loosen with broth, water, or a splash of milk.

No tomato paste? Cook the crushed tomatoes 5–10 extra minutes to concentrate, then finish with butter.

Can I make it spicy? Add 1/2–1 tsp red pepper flakes with the garlic, or swirl in Calabrian chili paste at the end.

Make-Ahead, Storage & Reheating

• Fridge: Cool completely; store in airtight containers up to 4 days.
• Freezer: Portion in freezer bags or deli tubs (leave headspace) up to 3 months. Label with date.
• Reheat: Simmer gently on the stove with a splash of water or broth, then re-adjust salt and finish with a little butter or olive oil.

Nutrition Snapshot (Estimate per 1/2 cup sauce)

• Calories: ~180
• Protein: ~11 g
• Carbohydrates: ~8 g
• Fat: ~11 g
• Sodium varies with salt and cheese

Values are approximate and depend on meat leanness, dairy additions, and brand of tomatoes.

At-a-Glance Recipe Card

Prep: 15 minutes  |  Cook: 35–45 minutes  |  Yield: ~6–8 servings

1. Brown 1 lb ground meat in 2 tbsp olive oil; season lightly.
2. Soften 1 diced onion, 1 diced carrot, 1 diced celery; add 4 minced garlic cloves.
3. Bloom 2 tbsp tomato paste 1–2 minutes; deglaze with 1/2 cup wine or broth.
4. Add 28 oz crushed tomatoes, oregano, basil, bay leaf, salt/pepper, pinch sugar. Simmer 20–30 minutes.
5. Finish with 1/2 cup milk and 2 tbsp butter; adjust seasoning. Toss with hot pasta and Parmesan.

Final Thoughts

Monday nights call for food that feels like a reward without demanding your entire evening. This meat sauce delivers: quick to build, forgiving to tweak, and layered with the kind of flavor that makes a simple bowl of pasta feel special. Keep the pantry staples on hand, memorize the rhythm—brown, soften, bloom, deglaze, simmer, finish—and you’ll always have a reliable, comforting dinner ready to go. Make one batch for tonight and one for the freezer; your future self will thank you.

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