LET'S GET SAUCY

Whenever I'm asked "what's my favorite food" the answer is always ITALIAN. To me, Italian food is so comforting & nothing spells comfort better than a big bowl of pasta in SPAGHETTI SAUCE.

Now let me preface this by saying, I am not Italian & I don't have a wonderful Italian grandma to teach me how to make the perfect sauce. But after a few years of trying different recipes, this one is my favorite.

It's rich & meaty, perfect over your favorite pasta or in THE WORLDS BEST LASAGNA. A good sauce takes time, so you'll want to plan ahead for this recipe. I like to simmer mine for a few hours so I make a lot & load up the freezer. I freeze the sauce in individual sized containers so I can have a quick home cooked dinner on hectic days. Trust me when I say you'll never want jarred sauce again.

This recipe isn't complicated at all, in fact the hardest part is waiting while it simmers away. The perfect recipe to make on a lazy Sunday.

SPAGHETTI SAUCE

1 pound mild Italian sausage

1 pound spicy Italian sausage

2 pounds ground beef (80/20)

1 cup onion, diced

2 teaspoons garlic, minced

2 (8 ounce) packages of mushrooms, sliced

2 (28 ounce) cans crushed tomatoes

4 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste

2 (15 ounce) cans tomato sauce

1 (14.5 ounce) can fire roasted diced tomatoes

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup red wine

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon dried basil

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Pasta of choice (I used bowtie)

Grated parmesan reggiano (optional/for serving)

Fresh parsley (optional/for serving)

In a 9 quart pot, brown the Italian sausage & ground beef. Drain & set aside.

In the empty pot set over medium heat, add your diced onion & sauté until translucent. There should be a little grease left in the pot, but if not add 1 tablespoon of olive oil so the onions don't burn. Once they are translucent, add the minced garlic & cook for another minute or so. Add the sliced mushrooms & cook until they are softened, about 5 minutes.

Add the meat back to pot with the onions & mushrooms. Pour in all of your tomato products along with the water, red wine, sugar, basil, fennel, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, & red pepper flakes. Stir to combine. Once the sauce starts to bubble, lower to a simmer & let cook for at least 1 hour. The longer this sauce simmers, the better.

Serve over your favorite pasta & top with lots of grated parmesan & a sprinkle of parsley.

This recipe does make a lot, so feel free to cut it in half. But I like to load up my freezer with the sauce & it's just as easy to make a little or a lot.

Enjoy!