I love Italian food. One can never hate such an easy dinner as homemade spaghetti sauce. It's great for a busy weeknight meal and the kids love it. Yes, it's easy to throw some ground beef and a jar of sauce in a pan, but this homemade spaghetti sauce is way better and done by the time your noodles boil.
This rich sauce is meaty, chunky, and hearty. It will cling to your fork not just slide off. The best part of this sauce is that you can double or triple the recipe and freeze it. I pull it out on a busy night for an even quicker bowl of pasta or to make manicotti and stuffed shells with it. It's quick to make and the kids love to help put it together.
This meat sauce makes a great gift, put some in a jar and place it in a basket with pasta, garlic bread and a bag of salad and deliver it to a sick friend or new neighbor.
- 1 lb your choice ground beef, spicy or mild Italian sausage
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 bell pepper diced
- 3 cloves or 2 teaspoons minced garlic.
- 1 28 oz can of diced tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1-2 15 oz cans tomato sauce depending on how saucy you want it.
- 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
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Turn the stove onto medium to medium high heat.
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Brown your meat in the bottom of a stock pot or dutch oven.
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Remove beef from pan and add the olive oil.
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Add onions, stir for a minute or 2 and as they start to soften add the bell pepper.
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Stir for another 2 minutes then add in the garlic.
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Keep stirring so it does not brown.
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Once the onions and peppers are limp put in your dices tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce and Italian seasoning.
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Throw in your browned meat and stir together.
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Let simmer for 20 minutes or more.
If you like a sweeter sauce use a red, yellow or orange bell pepper. If not use a green.
If you sauce is too acidic you may add 1/2 teaspoon of sugar to balance it out.
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