Spaghetti with Meat Sauce

Wow, I am so excited to share this recipe with y’all today!!!

I don’t know about you, but the start of fall makes me crave comforting meals like homemade spaghetti sauce. There’s just something to standing in front of the stove, stirring a HUGE pot of sauce while it simmers for hours that calms me right down. I made this sauce, which is my mother’s recipe and, in my opinion, the best tasting spaghetti sauce in the entire world, a couple weeks ago when my book came out. I included this recipe in the book so I made it to celebrate the launch. After a few bites, Adam claimed it was the best meat sauce he ever tasted. Bold statement, huh? It’s true! Two days later I made another huge batch to take over to Ashley’s house because she is pregnant and has morning sickness so badly that she can’t even stand to open her fridge to cook. Let’s just say that it was a gift very well received by her husband and daughter.

I never included this recipe on my blog before because, well, it was sort of an old family secret, but I think it’s time you guys taste it for yourself.

I grew up eating this sauce. Just the smell of it reminds of home. It’s actually my mother’s ex-boyfriend’s recipe from way back in the day. I’m glad things didn’t work out between them {or else I wouldn’t be here right now!}, but I AM glad they were together long enough for her to grab this amazing sauce recipe. I’m not sure how my dad feels about that, but I do know he loves this spaghetti sauce as well.

Now for the “secrets” that make this sauce so addicting!

1. Simmering the sauce for two hours with lots of cheese in mixed in.

2. Wine and lots of it.

3. Garlic salt and lots of it.

4. A blend of ground beef and hot Italian sausage.

I can’t believe I just shared that! But good—there are no secrets between us anymore. I feel better, don’t you?

Like most sauces, there’s no real “recipe” for this. The recipe in the book is pretty loose because it really is “just a pinch of this and a drizzle of that”. However, last time when I made it for Ashley’s family I wrote down exactly what I did {or tried to, at least}. You still have the ability to alter the sauce to your taste buds and I encourage tasting it throughout the cooking process!

Just remember the golden rule: when in doubt, add more wine!

{that goes for yourself, too. duh}

Spaghetti with Meat Sauce

from White Jacket Required

serves 6-8

Print this Recipe!

Ingredients:

1.5 lbs ground beef (or turkey)

1 lb hot Italian sausage

20 oz sliced mushrooms

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 yellow onion, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1.5 tbsp olive oil

1 28-oz can tomato puree

1 12-oz can tomato paste

24 oz tomato sauce

BIG splash red wine (whatever “big splash” means to you: anywhere from 1/2 cup to 2 cups will do fine. Heh heh)

6 oz freshly grated Romano cheese

1 tbsp dried oregano

1 tbsp dried basil

1 bay leaf

1-2 tbsp sugar

garlic salt + pepper as needed

spaghetti noodles + additional grated cheese for serving

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Once hot, add the onion, bell peppers and sliced mushrooms. Saute for about six – eight minutes, until mushrooms are soft. Add ground beef and sausage meat. Cook until meat browns, stirring frequently with a large rubber spatula.

Add tomato puree, tomato sauce and tomato paste to the pot. Stir well. Then, add the bay leaf, wine, spices, sugar and cheese. Stir well and bring sauce to a simmer.

Simmer sauce for an hour and a half over low heat, stirring occasionally. Taste it as you cook, adding more wine, spices or garlic salt to suite your taste buds. The longer the sauce cooks, the better it will taste!

Serve sauce over hot spaghetti noodles with extra cheese. Sauce can be refrigerated for up to five days or frozen for up to three months. Sauce will taste better the next day, after flavors have time to meld.

Time:

2 hours

 

 

Pin It

Tagged as: family favorites