Fazoli's sauce is composed of three commercially prepared components, their ingredients listed below: a prepared marinara sauce, a meat sauce, and beef crumble.
This only helps so much. Professional food service products use those "natural flavors" you see listed in the ingredients to enhance or fully replace/imitate particular flavors. Home cooks do not have access to such compounds, nor information regarding what those particular flavors are used for a given product (i.e. pastes that imitate the flavor of a mirepoix without using any of the onion, carrot, or celery in the product; compounds that accentuate deeply-roasted, smoked, grilled, or stewed meat flavors; compounds that highlight a bright herbal fragrance or bring out a roasted garlic flavor; additives that lend a sensation of richness without any additional fat or that simultaneously enhance saltiness and sweetness). Additionally, the particular type of tomato and processing techniques can make a significant impact on the flavor.
That said, I'll include some recipes for meat sauce that include the same basic ingredients. Note that adding some store-bought sauce from a jar to your own base can make the taste a bit more commercial. If you can identify what flavors are missing, you can use some work arounds. Some tricks to add flavor are to use some roasted bones removed before serving; add some reduced beef broth; add milk to your meat; deglaze with wine when sauteing onions and garlic; add parmesan rinds to your sauce while it reduces; use a mirepoix or soffrito (onion, celery and pepper); add additional herbs or spices- like marjoram, rosemary, nutmeg, star anise, a pinch of cinnamon; use a combination of beef and pork/veal/lamb/Italian sausage; saute the tomato paste with onions for a few minutes to deepen the flavor before adding tomato puree; use pancetta and its natural fat to saute vegetables in; sweeten with brown sugar instead of white.
FAZOLI'S SAUCE INGREDIENT LISTS:
Marinara Sauce: Tomato Puree (Water, Tomato Paste), Tomatoes, Sugar, Salt, Spices, Dehydrated Garlic, Dehydrated Onions, Xanthan Gum, and Natural Flavors.
Meat Sauce: Beef, Water, Textured Soy Protein (Soy Flour, Caramel Color), Tomatoes, Tomato Juice, Citric Acid, Calcium Chloride, Tomato Paste, Salt, Seasoning (Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Dextrose, Flavorings, Spices, Disodium Inosinate, Disodium Guanylate, Calcium Silicate), Seasoning (Sugar, Salt, Modified Food Starch, Spices, Dehydrated Onion, Garlic Powder, Citric Acid, Dehydrated Parsley), Soybean Oil.
Beef Crumble: Beef, Water, Textured Vegetable Protein (soy flour, salt), Salt, Spice, and Sugar.
SPAGHETTI SAUCE WITH MEAT
1 onion, diced
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound ground beef
3 to 4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 pounds canned tomatoes
1 (16 ounce) can tomato sauce
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon thyme or marjoram
Ground black pepper to taste
1 fresh bay leaf
1 cup water or meat broth
In large skillet, cook onion in hot oil until slightly caramelized. Add meat and garlic; brown lightly, do not burn garlic. Add tomato paste, stir for a few minutes until slightly darkened. Add all remaining ingredients. Simmer uncovered 2 to 2 1/2 hours or till sauce is thick; stir occasionally. Adjust seasoning, remove bay leaf before serving and storing.
LIDIA BASTIANICH'S ITALIAN-AMERICAN MEAT SAUCE
Makes 8 cups
2 cans (35 oz. each) Italian plum tomatoes (preferably San Marzano)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 medium onions, diced
6 to 8 garlic cloves, chopped
5 to 6 meaty pork neck bones
1 lb. ground beef
1 lb. ground pork
Salt to taste
4 bay leaves
1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
3/4 cup dry white wine
1/3 cup tomato paste
3 to 4 cup hot water (omit for a thicker sauce)
Puree or crush the tomatoes and set aside.
Heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook until golden. Add garlic and brown for 2 more minutes. Add pork bones and brown on all sides. Add the ground beef and pork, season with salt, and cook until brown and all liquid is absorbed. Add bay leaves, oregano, and wine. Bring to a boil and cook until all the wine is almost evaporated. Pour in tomatoes and tomato paste and stir. Season to taste. Bring to a boil, turn down to a steady simmer and cook for 2-3 hours.
MEAT SAUCE
(using milk and nutmeg)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 cup red wine
1/2 cup milk
1 pinch ground nutmeg
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and pepper to taste
Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat, and cook and stir the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic until the vegetables are soft and beginning to brown, about 8 minutes.
Place the ground beef into the pan, and cook and stir, breaking the meat apart as it cooks, until well browned, about 10 more minutes.
Pour in the red wine, bring to a boil, and cook until the liquid is almost absorbed, 10 to 15 minutes.
Pour in the milk and nutmeg, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the milk is almost absorbed, 10 more minutes.
Stir in the crushed tomatoes, sugar, and oregano, bring to a simmer, and reduce heat to low. Simmer uncovered 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
MEAT SAUCE (SUGO DI CARNE)
Makes 1/2 cup
1/2 cup Olio di arrosto (recipe follows)
1 onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
1 Italian parsley sprig
1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 cup dry white wine
2/3 cup tomato paste
1 1/2 cup beef stock or water
Salt (to taste)
Place the olio di arrosto in a large saucepan.
Chop onion, carrot, celery, and parsley together, very fine. Add to saucepan, with oil and lightly brown for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add meat and brown thoroughly, stirring frequently.
Add wine and raise the heat to let the wine evaporate completely.
Add the tomato paste and cook over high heat for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add beef stock or water and cook, covered, over very low heat for 1/2 hour to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add salt to taste. Sauce should be nice and thick, if it looks too liquid, cook it a few minutes longer till it loses its excess liquid.
Note: You may add a shank bone or any other bone for a more authentic flavor.
OLIO DI ARROSTO
1/2 cup olive oil
1 garlic clove, large, lightly crushed
1 teaspoon dried rosemary (or one 4-inch branch rosemary)
1 teaspoon dried sage (or 2 to 3 fresh sage leaves)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Heat the oil with all the other ingredients and cook, stirring, for 4 to 5 minutes or until garlic is quite brown. Add a few drops of water or white to produce the steam which will bind the flavors to the oil. Remove from heat and let cool.
Discard the garlic and fresh herbs by simply lifting them with a fork. If you used dried herbs, strain the oil, but be sure that the salt and pepper are not removed.
