My Mama Iuliucci's "Don't Skip a Step" Spaghetti Sauce

My mom made this every Sunday for as long as I can remember. I recall coming home from wherever I was and smelling this incredible sauce! I would immediately reach for the Italian bread to start dipping before dinner. My mom always said it wasn't done yet, but I didn't care! My brother would go through a half a loaf of white bread with this sauce before dinner...it was that good. Try to make it exactly as it is written out...you will be pleasantly surprised and your house will smell heavenly! The little bit of extra work is worth it!!!

• Ready In: 3 hrs 15 mins
• Yields: 1 Large pot of sauce

Ingredients

• 2 (28 ounce) cans  crushed tomatoes
• 1 (28 ounce) can tomato puree
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• 1  tablespoon sugar
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons salt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1  teaspoon  italian seasoning
• 1  teaspoon garlic powder
• 1  tablespoon parsley
• 1⁄2 cup  grated parmesan cheese or 1⁄2 cup romano cheese
• 2  onions, chopped
• 2  cloves garlic, chopped
•  Italian sausage or   home-made  meatballs
• 1 -2  spareribs (optional)
•  leftover cooked chicken thighs or  chicken leg (optional)
•  pepperoni (optional)

Directions

1. Combine tomato products in large stock pot or dutch oven.
2. Add a 28 ounce can of water and stir.
3. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer.
4. Sprinkle with sugar, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, parsley and grated cheese and stir to combine.
5. In a frying pan, heat about 1/4" of vegetable oil and fry up your sausage or meatballs until cooked through.
6. Add the meat to the simmering sauce, along with any optional meats (recommended) mentioned in ingredients.
7. Now, this is an important, not to be left out, step: Add chopped onions and garlic to pan that meat was fried in.
8. Do not drain anything before adding onions and garlic-- there should be some drippings/oil left in the pan!
9. Fry onions and garlic until tender and aromatic.
10. Remove pan from heat.
11. Another important step, not to be left out: Add about 1/2 cup water to the pan and swish around, combining the leftover drippings and onion and garlic.
12. Pour and scrape it all into the simmering sauce.
13. Stir to combine.
14. Let simmer for 3 hours or until desired consistency, stirring occasionally.
15. I keep mine only half way covered, so it cooks down and gets thick and rich.
16. Remove pepperoni, chicken and ribs if used.
17. Remove meat from bones of chicken and ribs and add back to sauce in small shreds.
18. Discard pepperoni, eat it, or chop it up and add it back to sauce.
19. Serve over your favorite pasta and enjoy.