Spaghetti Sauce

by Bill Duncanin Recipeson Posted on

Maybe more properly called a meat marinara, this recipe comes via Barb’s Mom, Louise. We have dutifully stuck with it for decades. Barb knows exactly how it should taste. Any deviation from the recipe is instantly noted and highly discouraged. If you’re not serving it to her, you can have some fun and add different flavors, like maybe sausage.

Ingredients

  • 1 large can of Whole Tomatoes, preferably Roma or San Marzano
  • 1 large can Crushed or Chopped Tomatoes
  • 1 large can Tomato Sauce
  • 1 small can Tomato Paste
  • 1 large or 2 smaller Yellow Onions, chopped
  • 8-oz package of Mushrooms, chopped
  • 2-3 cloves of Garlic, minced
  • 1 Green Pepper, chopped (can use other colors or more peppers if not serving to Barb)
  • 1-2 Tbs. of dried Oregano
  • 2-3 Bay Leaves
  • 1 package of McCormick Spaghetti Sauce mix
  • 1 – 1.5 lbs. of Ground Beef (80/20 or 85/15 preferred)
  • 1 cup water
  • 2-3 Tbs Light Olive Oil
  • Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions

Overall prep and cooking time: about 3 hours

  1. In a large, heated pot or Dutch oven, add light olive oil then saute chopped onions for 4-6 minutes until translucent.
  2. Add hamburger meat, stir and cook until just past pink.
  3. Add chopped mushrooms and green pepper and saute for another 4-6 minutes.
  4. Add garlic, oregano, black pepper and Spaghetti packet. Stir for 1-2 minutes to incorporate and bloom.
  5. Add Tomato Paste and keep stirring for 2-4 minutes to incorporate and bloom.
  6. Add cans of tomatoes and sauce plus water and bay leaves. Cover and bring to a boil, stir, then simmer very low for 2-3 hours…the longer the better but it’s ready after 2 about hours.
  7. Stir occasionally, like every 30 minutes. After about an hour of simmering, lightly crush the whole tomatoes against the side of the pot with a wooden spoon so they come out chunky rather than whole.
  8. After 2 hours or so, decide when you can’t wait any longer, salt and pepper sauce to taste, cook your pasta and serve.

Serve over Angel Hair pasta with grated Parmesan Cheese, maybe a drizzle of good Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and (for me) Red Pepper Flakes.

Sauce can stay in the pot in refrigerator overnight and is even better reheated the next day. After a day or two of leftovers, the rest of the sauce can be stored in the freezer in airtight containers for months. Thaws out easily for great meals anytime.

Leave a Comment