Easy Tomato Meat Sauce Spaghetti
A quick, minimalist spaghetti dish featuring a rich, thickened tomato and ground beef sauce, perfect for a satisfying and flavorful meal in under 30 minutes.
This lazy, minimalist tomato meat sauce spaghetti is incredibly easy to make and light on calories. By using clever techniques like freezing tomatoes for easy peeling and creating a concentrated sauce base, you can achieve a deeply flavorful result that coats every strand of pasta perfectly. It is a simple, no-fuss approach to a classic comfort food that does not compromise on taste.
Ingredients
- 1 frozen tomato
- 1 portion spaghetti
- 100 g beef patty
- 1 block frozen tomato paste
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 0.5 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 0.5 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 bowl starch water
- 1 tbsp cooking oil
Instructions
- 1Score the frozen tomato
Take a frozen tomato from the freezer and use a small knife to score two shallow cuts on its surface. This prep step is essential for easily removing the tomato skin after a quick hot water rinse.
Tip: Make sure the tomato is still firm to score it cleanly. - 2Peel the tomato skin
Rinse the scored frozen tomato under warm water, which will cause the skin to loosen. Easily peel the skin away to reveal the raw tomato underneath.
Tip: If the skin doesnt slide off immediately, run it under slightly warmer water for a few more seconds. - 3Dice the tomato
Once the tomato has thawed slightly, use a sharp cleaver to carefully cut it into small, uniform chunks. These chunks will break down beautifully in the pan to form the base of your sauce.
Tip: Allow the tomato to thaw just enough so that it is not rock-hard, making it much easier to cut safely. - 4Boil the pasta
Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil and add a portion of spaghetti. Cook until al dente, then remove and set aside in cold water to stop the cooking process.
Tip: Adding the pasta to a rolling boil prevents it from clumping together. - 5Brown the beef
Heat a pan with a little oil and add the beef patty. Cook over medium-high heat, using a spatula to break the patty into smaller crumbles as it browns.
Tip: Ensure the pan is hot before adding the beef to get a nice sear and better flavor development. - 6Combine tomato and beef
Once the beef is browned, add your pre-cut tomato chunks and a block of frozen tomato paste into the pan. Stir everything together until the tomatoes and paste have cooked down and thickened into a rich, flavorful sauce.
Tip: Let the tomato paste fully dissolve to ensure a deep, concentrated tomato flavor. - 7Season the sauce
Add one tablespoon of light soy sauce, half a tablespoon of dark soy sauce, half a tablespoon of oyster sauce, and one tablespoon of sugar to the pan. Stir the mixture well to ensure all the seasonings are evenly incorporated into the tomato meat sauce.
Tip: Adjust the sugar if you prefer a less sweet sauce, but it helps balance the acidity of the tomatoes. - 8Thicken the sauce
Pour a bowl of starch water into the pan with the tomato meat mixture. Stir constantly over medium heat until the sauce reaches a thick, glossy consistency that will coat the pasta perfectly.
Tip: Add the starch water slowly while stirring to prevent any clumps from forming in the sauce. - 9Combine with spaghetti
Add the pre-cooked spaghetti into the pan with the thickened tomato meat sauce. Toss the pasta thoroughly using tongs or chopsticks until every strand is evenly coated in the rich, flavorful sauce.
Tip: Toss quickly to keep the pasta texture firm and ensure it absorbs the sauce flavors immediately.
