Simple Tomato-Lard Sauce
A rich, savory tomato sauce built from simple ingredients: ground meat, onions, garlic, tomato paste, and traditional cooking fats. Slowly simmered for deep flavor and perfect for pasta or lasagna.
Ingredients
- 4+ tablespoons lard or tallow
- 1 lb ground beef/pork
- 1-2 medium onions, diced
- 4-6 cloves garlic, minced (or re-hydrated garlic powder)
- 12 oz tomato paste
- 4 cups beef, chicken, or vegetable broth
- 4 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- Season to taste (salt, pepper, house seasoning blends, etc)
- Optional: 2 bay leaves, pinch of red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Heat lard (1-2 tablespoons) in a large pot over medium heat. Add diced onions and cook until softened, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant. (if using re-hydrated garlic powder, skip)
- Add ground meat and cook until browned. Season meat as it nears finish.
- Add rest of lard, another ~4 tablespoons or to sauce preference.
- Stir in tomato paste and let it cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring to mix with onions and lard. This deepens the flavor.
- Add broth slowly, stirring to combine. The paste will dissolve.
- Add seasoning, bay leaves and red pepper flakes if using.
- Bring to a gentle simmer and let cook for 30-40 minutes. The sauce should reduce slightly and flavors meld.
- Taste and adjust seasoning. Remove bay leaves if used.
Notes
Scaling
The above recipe is enough for a large portion of spaghetti. For lasagna, scale this up 4-6x depending on size/quantity.