Spaghetti Sauce

Spaghetti is absolutely my go to dinner. I always keep the ingredients for it in the house and when I don't really feel like cooking, this is what I make. It is so simple, so fast and so delicious. The recipe that I use originally came from a Betty Crocker cookbook (circa 1980) but my mom and I have both made several changes over the years.

Although it is traditionally made with ground beef, I have also used sauteed chicken, ground turkey and ground sausage. Sometimes I make spaghetti with the basics and sometimes I add extra veggies (black olives, spinach, mushrooms, or fresh tomatoes, etc.). I also use this sauce for Lasagna, baked ziti, a spicy tomato cream sauce and even tomato soup.

I hope you love this sauce as much as I do!!

Spaghetti Sauce

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef

1 large onion, chopped

1 or 2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 can tomato sauce

1 can diced tomatoes

1 cup water

1 t. salt

pinch of red pepper flakes

1 t. dried oregano leaves

3/4 t. dried basil leaves

1/2 t. dried marjoram leaves

1/4 t. dried rosemary leaves

1 bay leaf

Directions:

Brown meat, onions and garlic in skillet. Drain fat. Add all other ingredients and simmer for one hour. (But honestly, if you don't have an hour, you don't have to simmer for an hour. That just gives the sauce a chance to thicken up but if you're in a hurry, you can serve it as soon as it's heated through.) Remove bay leaf and pour over cooked pasta. I like to top mine with parmesan cheese and fresh basil.

Mmm... fresh Basil :)

*****

And just in case my "Biscuits and Gravy" post had any of you on pins and needles... I am the hot sauce (Louisiana hot sauce, specifically) and Evan is the Ketchup. And not only do I use hot sauce on my eggs, I also use it on my spaghetti!!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!!