Spaghetti Bolognese Sauce (Beef and Italian Sausage)

Pokey in San Antonio, TX's Note:

I've been working on this recipe for years--tweaking and fussing, and I believe it is about ready. My family and friends love it. I also use it as meat sauce filling for lasagna.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 30 mins
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hrs

Ingredients:

Servings: 6

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 lb link Italian sausage
• 3 (8 ounce) cans tomato sauce
• 2 (8 ounce) cans tomato paste
• 1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes (drained)
• 1 1/2 cups onions (diced)
• 1 cup bell pepper (diced)
• 1 cup mushroom (sliced)
• 1 cup red wine
• 3 garlic cloves (minced)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 -2 tablespoon sugar
• 3 teaspoons basil
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 teaspoons marjoram (dried)
• 2 teaspoons thyme
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 2 tablespoons mozzarella cheese (grated)
• 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese (grated)
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon water

Directions:

1. Brown ground beef, season to taste with salt and pepper, drain and set aside.
2. Cut link sausage up into meatball size pieces, brown, drain, and set aside. I use Thomasville Hot. If making sauce for lasagna, remove sausage from casings and brown with the ground beef.
3. Sauté garlic, onion, and bell pepper in olive oil, just until the onions are translucent.
4. Add meat, tomato sauce, tomato paste, diced tomatoes, herbs and spices, mushrooms, sugar, and wine. I use fresh mushrooms, and a red burgandy for a deeper earthy flavor. Omit mushrooms if making sauce for lasagna.
5. Simmer on medium low for at least one hour, stirring occasionally.
6. When ready to serve, mix corn starch with water and add to sauce, along with both cheeses to thicken.
7. When cheese is incorporated, and sauce has thickened, serve over your choice of pasta or use as a meat filling for lasagna.

Reviews

[Kelly-Mom2Girls]

Subbed smoked sausage for the italian sausage, canned mushrooms for fresh and added 3 shredded carrots. Absolutely the best "homemade" spaghetti sauce I've ever made. Thanks!

[doogsteroflove]

I've been looking for ages for a good homemade spaghetti sauce - I will be using this as my sauce for the foreseeable future - the flavor enhances with time - so I will be making it a few days in advance of when I actually want to use it. Thanks for posting.

[Napoleon Dynamite]

Great recipe! I used turkey italian sausage to cut the fat content a bit. The result of this recipe is a thick, rich sauce that is wonderful on a hearty pasta like penne or linguine. The flavors are very complex yet not overpowering. I served this dish to a large potluck crowd and several people asked for the recipe. Someone even emailed me for the recipe months after the potluck, stating she was craving the sauce and wanted to make it... guess it is a memorable dish!