# Do you put meat in your spaghetti sauce?



## The Lucky One (Oct 31, 2002)

Assuming you aren't vegetarian, do you?

I grew up eating meatless sauce and enjoying it. Everytime my dh eats my moms spaghetti, he makes snarky comments later about the fact that it is meatless. He thinks it's just plain weird to eat spaghetti sauce without meat in it (not meatballs, just crumbled up hamburger). I disagree and told him I'd do a poll.

So, meat or no meat?


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## PikkuMyy (Mar 26, 2004)

Well, I'm vegan (you're always going to get this if you don't put an "other" option on your poll) and I like to put fake meat in my sauce. Right now, I'm eating pasta with marinara into which has gone sauteed onions and Gimme Lean Sausage substitute. Yum! But other times I'm more in the mood for plain sauce without any meat. It just depends on how I'm feeling...


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## Viola (Feb 1, 2002)

I voted no because I, too, grew up eating meatless sauce (Prego, baby! LOL). For some people, spaghetti sauce just isn't spaghetti sauce unless it has meat. And the funny thing is that I've read a number of little blurbs in cooking/nutrition articles about things you can sub in for meat in sauce to make it vegetarian. Ummm, it's already a vegetarian food, why do I need to add crumbled tofu or TVP?







Sometimes I will sautee peppers or mushrooms to go in it, but usually I just opt for a marinara type of sauce.


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## Emmama (Jan 21, 2004)

I voted no because I also grew up with a meatless sauce. I like to make meatballs on the side, but I don't need to have meat with pasta.


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## Lucky Charm (Nov 8, 2002)

I grew up in a big boisterous Italian family, and never have had crumpled up meat in my sauce, ever!

Meatballs are a different story.

I made it once for my husband who apparently grew up eating it that way.

I gagged and never made it that way again.


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## Anguschick1 (Jul 25, 2003)

I voted no because we don't put crumbled anything in the sauce, but after I make and brown the meatballs I'll put them in the sauce to cook for an hour or so. Then I remove them.

Did I vote right?


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## chalupamom (Apr 15, 2002)

I voted "yes" because I do add meat sometimes - sometimes I put in fake meat, sometimes it's hamburger or ground sausage. Sometimes I put a boatload of veggies instead or in addition to the meat. Sometimes I add meat and wine and veggies and herbs.

Pretty much you never know what you're gonna get in your sauce around here!


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## Viola (Feb 1, 2002)

I would say if you eat meat with your spaghetti you should probably vote yes, but I don't know. I guess if you eat them on the side then you can vote no. When I eat spaghetti, it's usually the only thing I eat unless I have a salad or broccoli. Meat and pasta don't go together for me.


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## crayon (Aug 24, 2002)

I grew up with hambuger in it, but I like a herbal taste and really dont like the meat taste too much. So I dont put it in mine, I will eat it with meat however. And i did know this one person who put sausage in it and it was good.


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## UnschoolnMa (Jun 14, 2004)

Voted no, but it's not that straightfoward really. I am a vegetarian, so when I make it for the whole family I make the meat in a seperate pot so they can add it later. If I am not going to be eating it then I just mix it into the sauce for them


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## jeca (Sep 21, 2002)

Absolutly! I always use meat in our spaghetti, also had it thatw ay as a child. I tried meatless once over a freinds house, tasted like nothing but noodles to me, so bland.


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## The Lucky One (Oct 31, 2002)

Quote:

I grew up in a big boisterous Italian family, and never have had crumpled up meat in my sauce, ever!
HA! I knew it! Even Italians don't necessarily eat meat in their sauce. ( I gag too when I eat hamburger with marinara.)

My husband isn't being mean, he just has this weird thing with having some sort of meat with every meal. His dad lost his job when dh was 12 and for 2 years was unemployed. They were very poor for those years and dh remembers not eating any meat during those times except for what he got at school. I guess his mom's spaghetti was meatless then, so I think that's where he's coming from.

Meat is something is something I could easily do without, and do for the most part, so I have a hard time understanding and accepting my husbands meat obsession...lol.


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## sadean (Nov 20, 2001)

I voted yes. I grew up with 'burger in the sauce. Now I use either ground turkey, cut up chicken breast, or Quorn crumbles. Very rarely do I use hamburger anymore. But the sauce always has SOMETHING protein related in it.


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## mom22 (Nov 30, 2004)

Yes, I put hamburger or sausage in my spaghetti sauce. One side of my family is Italian and we always got my grandmother's "sugo" sauce canned from her. It always had meat in it and I've never tasted anything like it anywhere. Of course she told me about her trip to Italy and the spaghetti there was meatless and she said it was disgusting. She also said that many of them were poor way back when and couldn't afford meat. Here in this country she said her family used meat. So, yes I do put meat but my favorite is pesto and spaghetti blanca -- don't know what was in that but it was sooooo good. My wonderful great aunt used to make that one, but now she's gone.


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## mom2x (Apr 5, 2004)

I voted "yes" since I put meat in it if we are having spaghetti for dinner, but I don't if it's a side - like w/ eggplant or chicken parm. I knew an Italian family that called spaghetti sauce "gravy" and they did put meat in the gravy for some dishes.


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## lillaurensmomma (Jul 5, 2003)

I almost always put ground beef in my spaghetti sauce (okay, so it's not mine...it's Prego lol). Now that I'm pg, I have a meat aversion most of the time so I'll ladle some sauce out for me with no meat. DH and DD would probably not eat it if I didn't add some ground beef! I did do a chicken parmesan type thing the other day where I put noodles and sauce (no meat) on a plate and added breaded chicken to it. That was pretty good (according to them, I didn't eat the chicken lol). DH and I both grew up with ground beef spaghetti. My mom always put it on top of the sauce when it was served and DH's mom always mixed it in with the sauce. He convinced me to mix it in so that's how we do it. If I had my way, I'd add mushrooms, but DH can't stand them

j


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## aishy (Dec 13, 2001)

I grew up eating meatless sauce & pot roast w/ my spaghetti. THats how mom did it. Sometimes she did meatballs instead/also. I now make meatsauce with spaghetti & i like to do meatballs w/ white rice. In fact, now I want it. Like, now now.

aisling


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## Pynki (Aug 19, 2002)

I voted no.. I prefer a meatless sauce most of the time.. Occasionally I will make meatballs and then we have spegetti with meatballs, and sauce.. The only time I've been known to put hamburger or meat "in" the sauce is when I'm pg and craving the extra protien..

and slightly







T

Does it drive anyone else crazy when "The Olive Garden" commercials say meat bolognase sauce??? Bolognase *IS* meat sauce.. SHEESH!! Nothing like assuming the american public is fulla hella stupid morons..










Warm Squishy Feelings..

Dyan


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## Lucky Charm (Nov 8, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mom2x*
I knew an Italian family that called spaghetti sauce "gravy" and they did put meat in the gravy for some dishes.

I know an old neighbor on Long Island that called it that too!

When my mom would put sausage (in the casings, not out and crumbled) and meatballs in her sauce, it was usually on Sundays, and she referred to it as "long sauce" because it simmered all day. I never ate the meat, just the sauce over the macaroni. The meat was eaten "second" with salad and was called "seconds".

On wednesdays, we had marinara sauce (which i say the way my Nonnie did, and i cant phonetically spell it







). That sauce had no meat what so ever, just tomatoes, olive oil, garlic basil, some hot pepper and a splash of wine sometimes. This is how i make my sauce. I just cant eat the crumbled meat, i literally gag!

I am realizing how incredibly complicated it all sounds.







:

I read the one post where she added vegiies, which sounds yummy. I never had any veggies in my red sauce until a year ago or so, seriously. I threw in some cut up portabello mushrooms. It was ok. But i could almost hear my beloved deceased father...._Lisa Ann, what are you doing????_


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## MaryLang (Jun 18, 2004)

I voted yes.
My mom always browned some meat before throwing the sauce in, so I do it the same way. In fact, I won't make it unless I have meat, it just doesn't taste right to me.


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## Meiri (Aug 31, 2002)

Since the kids love it this way, I usually add turkey Italian Sausage to our sauces, sliced up and browned before simmering in the sauces.

Yes, I said sauces. DH and DD like a mild mushroom sauce while DS and I prefer a more spicy Sicilian style sauce. And I used to swear I'd never make seperate meals.....but we've never found a sauce we all four agree on loving.

Sometimes I'll just add chicken, but not ground usually. I've made the sauces with ground buffalo. That was good.







Occasionally, we'll have them meatless.









Now if only I could convince them that the whole wheat angel hair pasta is better than the regular!


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## oldcrunchymom (Jun 26, 2002)

We're transitioning to a no-meat diet, but even when we ate meat I hardly ever put meat in our sauce. Strange since I grew up with meat sauce that had huge hunks of beef and pepperoni in it. I guess I never really thought about it and just dumped the Classico on there.


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## nym (Sep 6, 2003)

Yes, we do. We make a very chunky sauce with ground beef, onions, celery, peppers, whole tomatoes, mushrooms etc. It is very good


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## MoMommy (Oct 8, 2004)

I grew up with meatless sauce but dh likes the meat so now I sometimes add it. After reading this thread I think I'm going to try some sort of meat substitute next time.


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## PadmaMorgana (Apr 14, 2004)

bleck...No meat, not fake meat, no ground chicken....nuttin' but fresh veggies, super ripe romas, garlic and herbs simmered for hours and hours.

DH's mom puts meat in her sauce. He prefers mine. Could be the fact I put *flavour* in the food









Meat in sauce belongs in meatballs (the perfect mix is beef, pork and veal....from what I hear anyway







)


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## artgoddess (Jun 29, 2004)

I am an omnivor and I have never made sauce with meat. I grew up with slow cooked all day tomato sauce for spaghette. My DH also wants meat in his sauce, so we compromise. I used to serve just spaghetti with sauce, salad and garlic bread. Now I do either meatballs or sausage that get thrown on top of the meatless sauce.


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## littleaugustbaby (Jun 27, 2003)

My mom always made meat sauce when we were growing up. Once I was out on my own, I started using jarred sauce because it's easier. Just recently, I've started using my mom's recipe to make sauce, and I usually put meat in it, but sometimes I leave the meat out, and it's just as good.


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## carlasher (Sep 20, 2004)

I REALLY hate meat in my Marinara sauce (I always just make it from scratch). Sometimes I add seared scallops or grilled scrimp. Thats it.

Not to be a food snob, but I didn't think people still put ground beef in their pasta! :LOL Boy do I have a lot to learn!


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## merrick (Dec 8, 2003)

I make turkey meatballs to go with my pasta, but not actually in the sauce.
I make my sauce in a slow cooker with lots of added veggies and mushrooms. YUM! I am looking for a new recipe though b/c the one I have now has added sugar.
Growing up I hated meat in my spaghetti sauce. My mom always had to leave some out for me w/o the meat. Now, though, when she cooks spaghetti I eat it meat and all. I guess it's b/c I've transitioned to a mainly meatless diet (at least when I cook-my fast food addiction I'm still fighting







) except for the turkey meatballs and the occassional turkey burger, so I feel like I can splurge a bit when I visit.


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## bravofrenchie (Oct 15, 2004)

Wow! My vote made it 50/50. I like lots of hamburger in my sauce. Nice, juicy beef.







Okay, I'm weird. My apoligies to any vegetarians. I just love red meat.


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## DesireeH (Mar 22, 2003)

No. We eat meat but I hate ground beef type of meat and I dont like meat with pasta either so spagetti and lasagna are always meatless.


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## mommyoftwo (Apr 6, 2004)

I'm from a huge first generation Italian family. Marinara sauce is just tomatoes and fresh herbs.

Gravy is cooked all day and has various types of meat-never crumbled. Meat balls, sausage and bricholle (yuck-this wierd rolled skin thing)

Since my grandparents are long gone-I haven't had a real Sunday meal like that in years.

I usually prefer the first anyway. Good tomatos and fresh basil not cooked too long over home made pasta. YUM.


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## RaggedyAnn (May 30, 2004)

I sometimes put crumbled up hamburger because that is the way my dh likes it, for me I usually like sausage, meatballs or even ribs. 

My Grandmother is Italian and she always had some type of meat in her sauce, not necessarily crumbled up meat, but meat nevertheless.


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## splendid (Jul 18, 2004)

I didn't vote, it depends on the tops of spaghetti sauce I am making.

If it is a plain marinara sauce I make meatballs.


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## MPJJJ (Oct 24, 2003)

I grew up with hamburger in sauce. Now I use crumbled sausage. I try to make it with 1 can DelMonte 4 cheese and 1 can Delmonte green pepper, plus one package neeces sausage, that tastes delicious, but since moving here we have been forced to eat Hunts sauce with generic sausage. BIG difference!


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## EFmom (Mar 16, 2002)

Variety is the spice of life. Sometimes we have marinara. Sometimes I put meat in it. Sometimes there are meatballs and sometimes there is sausage. Sometimes there is pesto instead of red sauce.

We eat a lot of pasta.


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## Clarity (Nov 19, 2001)

I can't spell braceaole either - but it's not a weird skin thing. it's thin flank steak rolled and tied, sometimes with a filling. In our family, usually parmesan cheese, parlsey, garlic, salt and pepper. Browned and then cooked in the sauce. Gravy is an all day thing in our Italian family, and the part of italy they're from, we use 3 meats...pork, lamb and beef. Beef is usually braceaole. Pork and lamb are usually just what's availble - park chops and lamb neck - cheap and look like chops. I don't know what cuts were used originally.

Meatballs are for soup or to be eaten alone like in meatball sandwiches/subs. Sausage is usually served as sausage and peppers or split, fried and simmered with tomatoes for sandwiches. Loose hamburger, to us, seems to be a totally middle america thing - but I'm sure they must eat that in some part of Italy. But most of the truly gross sauce I've ever eaten had hamburger in it, so it puts you off (like school cafeterias!) Often with sauce that's way too sweet. If a canned sauce has sugar on the label, I generally don't like it.

Quick sauce, made during the week, is usually vegatarian. With my non Italian DH we've found a couple of jarred sauces I think are ok, plus we make quick sauce. And we use sausage in the casing, or sliced since I don't make real gravy very often.


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## Lucky Charm (Nov 8, 2002)

Quote:

bricholle
I know what that is! My mom and Nonnie put it in the sauce too.


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## chalupamom (Apr 15, 2002)

Isn't a tomato-based sauce with meat just kind of a riff on bolognese? I know that real bolognese is much more involves, but I always thought that using ground beef was kind of a knock-off, not really intended to be "marinara with meat" but rather something else altogether.


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## treemom2 (Oct 1, 2003)

nak

Sometimes. I grew up with ground hamburger in it so I'm used to that. Now we usually put in it what we have around: veggies, shrooms, and sometimes meat. If we have meat though, I prefer meatballs


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## Fieryfly (Mar 19, 2003)

We buy bottled sauce and add either ground turkey or sliced chicken breast. DH and I both grew up eating meat sauce. However, we both still enjoy it w/o sauce, but DH insists on another protein source.


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## member (Apr 15, 2002)

I do a chucky sauce chock full of mushrooms, zucchini, peppers and add organic lean ground beef to it. Good stuff.


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## mady5 (Jun 18, 2004)

I don't normally add meat to my italian tomato sauce. Just tomato, garlic, herbs, and lots of parmesan. Sometimes I do special sauces with meat (sausage or oxtail or pigtail) but they aren't really a basic pasta sauce. Or one of my favorites is putanesca with anchovies, capers, and olives. But the only time I would ever use ground beef in a tomato sauce is for chili pasta sauce, along with beans, corn, chili and cumin, topped with monteray jack, yum!

Oh, and I'm a pregnant italian, for what it's worth.


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## member (Apr 15, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mady5*
Or one of my favorites is putanesca with anchovies, capers, and olives.

Hee! You're makin' my mouth water over here.


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