FancyKetchup14's red sauce aka Neapolitan ragu.
Equal parts ground beef (sometimes veal if I was under the influence at the supermarket) and mild Italian sausage. As someone mentioned earlier, two pounds is a good call for a 28oz can of tomatoes.
I get my Dutch oven ripping hot and brown the meat in the pot. Then I remove the protein and saute onions (one medium-sized), and celery and carrot (two each) in a mixture of leftover animal fat and some olive oil. The vegetables of which have been diced to a medium-fine consistency on the spectrum of chopping sizes. If I'm lazy, I'll go more coarse for a "rustic" style sauce. Important note: as I add in vegetables, I'm adding salt.
Once the veg are all sauteed and soft, I add in the garlic and pepper flake until the garlic is fragrant but not burnt. And then deglaze the bottom of the pot with a bit of full-bodied red. Once the alcohol is cooked off, I add back in the meat, along with the can of san marzano tomatoes and a bit of added water. Lastly, I will add a sprig of thyme and basil, and a parmesan cheese rind.
I'll either let the sauce cook on the stove or in the oven at for a few hours. It should be at a low simmer. Once done, I remove the herbs and the rind, and lastly, taste for salt.
As the pasta is cooking just shy of al dente in salted boiling water, I take a serving of sauce and add it to a saute pan with some olive oil. I finish the pasta in the pan with the sauce and top it with pecorino or parm, whatever I'm feeling.
Try adding a cheese rind to your sauce or upping the salt. And maybe finishing the sauce/pasta with some good olive oil as you cook them together.
