Pasta in a hurry – quick meat and tomato sauce
A rich meat and tomato sauce for days when time is short. Good browning, cooked tomato purée and a little vegetable stock seasoning give plenty of flavour without slow cooking or ready-made jarred sauce.
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All recipes start at 4 people.
Ingredients now shown for 4 people.
Cuisine: International
Estimated timing: about 5 min preparation · about 15 min cooking. These estimates describe the basic method and are not measured kitchen timings. Follow the method and any time ranges above.
Method
Put the pasta water on
Bring water to the boil for the pasta. Finely chop onion and garlic while it heats. Use a wide frying pan for the sauce so excess liquid evaporates quickly.
Brown the meat
Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Fry the mince for 4–5 minutes, allowing some crust to form before breaking it up. Continue as needed until cooked through; brown larger quantities in batches.
Build the flavour
Add onion and cook for 2–3 minutes. Stir in garlic and tomato purée and cook for about 1 minute. Reduce the heat if the garlic starts to darken.
Simmer the sauce
Add tomatoes, oregano, optional pul biber and the smaller quantity of vegetable stock cube. Crumble the cube directly into the sauce and stir until dissolved. Simmer uncovered for 6–8 minutes. Cook the pasta alongside according to the packet. Do not add extra water for the stock unless the sauce is too thick.
Balance the flavour
Taste first. If sharply acidic, add a few grains of bicarbonate of soda, stir, let the bubbling subside and simmer for about a minute before tasting again. Use very little: too much produces flat or soapy flavours. Add some of the optional sugar, simmer for 1–2 minutes and taste before adding more. Bicarbonate and sugar are adjustments if needed, not obligatory additions. Season with pepper, more stock cube if needed, and finally salt.
Combine and serve
Reserve a little pasta water before draining. Toss the pasta into the sauce and cook together for about 1 minute. Add pasta water gradually, only if needed. Serve with Parmesan if desired.
Get to know the spices in this dish
About this version
Home-tested on 18 October 2026. A tiny pinch of bicarbonate of soda and ½ tsp sugar balanced the acidity well in the test. Adjust to the tomatoes you use; both are optional.
Good to know before you cook
Bicarbonate and sugar do different jobs
Bicarbonate neutralises some acid and releases carbon dioxide, which is why the sauce may bubble. Sugar does not neutralise acid, but balances the sour taste. Keep some freshness in the tomato sauce.
Taste before salting
Stock cubes and Parmesan contribute salt. Start with little stock seasoning and wait until the sauce has reduced before salting. Cube strength varies between brands.
Quick sauce needs little extra liquid
Passata quickly produces a smooth sauce. Finely chopped tomatoes give more texture. Use a wide pan and add liquid sparingly to avoid a long reduction.
Adjust to the tomatoes
Acidity varies between tomato products. In the home test, a tiny pinch of bicarbonate of soda and ½ tsp sugar worked for four portions. Other tomatoes may need less or no adjustment.