Sweet Italian Sausage With Red Gravy and Pasta

This is one of my husband's family's recipes. It's simple and doesn't require much prep time, especially if you use a food processor to cut the onion and celery. Seasoning amounts are approximate, though I don't recommend shorting the sugar. The gravy (I would call it sauce, but the family insists on "gravy" ) should be sweet and basil-heavy to complement the flavors of the sausages.

• Ready In: 1 hr 5 mins
• Serves: 10

Ingredients

• 2 (19 1/2ounce) packages  sweet Italian turkey sausage
• 1  tablespoon olive oil
• 3⁄4 cup  diced celery
• 1⁄2 cup  diced onion
• 1 (46 ounce) can tomato juice
• 2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
• 2 (6 ounce) cans water
• 1 (14 1/2ounce) can diced tomatoes with onion garlic and basil
• 1⁄2 cup sugar (may need as much as 1 cup to sweeten the gravy appropriately)
• 1 1⁄2 tablespoons dried basil
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons  italian seasoning
• 1  teaspoon parsley flakes
• 1  teaspoon salt
• 1  dash pepper
• 1 (14 1/2ounce) box  thin  whole wheat spaghetti

Directions

1. Warm olive oil in a skillet over medium heat while dicing onion and celery. Sauté vegetables until onions turn clear. Remove from heat.
2. In a large pot (6 qt or larger, I use an 8 qt stock pot) over medium-low heat, combine tomato juice, tomato paste, water, diced tomatoes, onion, celery, sugar, and seasonings.
3. Heat gravy to a boil (shouldn't need to raise heat above medium) and add sausages; boil for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Prepare pasta according to package directions and drain. Spoon a small amount of gravy over pasta (in its own pot) and stir gently to help prevent sticking.
5. Serving size is roughly a cup of pasta, one sausage, and about 3/4 cup gravy.