Homemade Spaghetti Sauce
Ingredients
3-3 1/2 lbs ground beef
2 medium or 1 very large onion
6-8 whole cloves of garlic
2 large sweet peppers (red, green, whatever you have on hand)
4 tbsp oregano
4 tbsp basil
Salt and pepper to taste
12 oz mushrooms (optional)
4 28 oz cans of tomatos - puree, sauce, diced, crushed (whichever you prefer)
1 12 oz can tomato paste
2 tbsp oil
Enough of your family's favorite pasta to feed them
Jars are easy and quick. But nothing beats the house-filling smell of cooking spaghetti sauce.
Directions
Chop the onion, peppers and mushrooms (if using). Press the garlic over all the vegetables and set aside.
Using a high heat, heat the oil in a very large pot.
Add the vegetables and cook for approximately 5 minutes, until the onion is soft.
Add the meat, oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Cook until the meat is completely brown throughout.
Add the cans of tomatoes, stirring from the bottom of the pot to make sure the meat gets mixed thru the tomatoes completely.
Bring the pot to a slow boil and turn down the heat to a medium heat.
Loosely cover the pot to reduce splatter and continue to cook for an additional 30-45 minutes.
When the sauce is 15 minutes to being completed, place the pasta in a medium sized pot with enough water to cook.
Once the pasta is done, drain in a colander.
Place pasta in a large bowl and scoop as much sauce over it as you want.
Serve very hot.
Additional Notes
Spaghetti is one of my comfort foods. When I'm feeling a little blue, spaghetti will boost my mood. It is easy to just go to the store and buy a jar of spaghetti sauce, but when you really need a lift, make your own. One of the things that is most pleasing to me is the smell of fresh cooking food. When the whole house smells of good food, especially when it's cold outside, there is not much more that makes me feel happy and secure. This recipe makes enough for a meal of 4 people, leftovers for 2-3 people and 4 extra jars of sauce to freeze for future use. So basically 5-6 32 oz jars of spaghetti sauce. If you pay at least $4.00 for a jar of spaghetti sauce and approximately $15.00 to make this recipe, you are savings around $5.00 to $9.00. If you are able to get your cans of tomatoes or other items on sale, you will even save more. So with this recipe, you get the taste and smell of fresh cooking food, plus a couple of extra bucks in your pocket. How can you beat that?
When buying tomatoes, be sure to check your labels closely. These days, I find that a lot of canned tomatoes are already seasoned. If you want control over your seasonings, make sure your cans do not say "Seasoned" or "Italian Style". If you had an herb garden during the summer and froze or dried oregano or basil, be sure to add those herbs to make this recipe especially tasty. Good eating.
