Meat Lovers Quick Ragu

My most recent batch of freezer tomato sauce was, as always, delicious, but I made one small error - I threw a parsnip in with the carrots. Of course, that ended up being all that I could taste. I had friends coming for dinner, one who is a major meat and pasta lover and I thought that I could subdue the parsnip taste by making a quick ragu. Not only was I right, but this is a stand alone, make in its own right sauce.

This recipe makes eight portions.

1 lb ground beef

1/2 lb ground veal

1/2 pound ground pork

1/2 pound sausage meat (I used duck sausage, but Italian sausage - either spicy or sweet would be great too)

4 cups of your favorite tomato sauce. I used my freezer tomato sauce recipe, but this roasted cherry tomato sauce would be excellent here as well. Also, if you have a brand that you like, in a pinch, go for the jarred version.

1 Tbsp olive oil

3 Tbsps chopped basil

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Heat the oil in a large skillet and, once it shimmers, add the meats.

Cook them over medium heat, breaking the chunks up and turning the meat over often, until the meat is nearly cooked through.

Stir in the tomato sauce and lower the heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomato sauce is heated through and bubbling away.

Stir in the basil and the grated Parmesan.

Serve with your favorite pasta, topped with more fresh basil and more grated Parmesan.