Zesty Spaghetti Sauce With Sausage
This is a variation of my Grandmother's beloved sauce recipe that adds a bit more flavor to boring spaghetti. Don't let the number of ingredients fool you, it's VERY easy to make. This yields about 2 gallons of sauce, so plan to use it as a OAMC recipe or cut it in half. It freezes well and makes a great sauce for lasagna, baked rigatoni, or served over spaghetti squash. I use a store-bought canned sauce for the base to save time, but you can use your own if you'd prefer. To make a Southwest version, substitute the stewed tomatoes with a jar of salsa, and add a can of corn and a can of black beans. This sauce depends on the sausage for most of its flavor, so it would probably not make a good vegetarian version, but if anyone comes up with something, let me know!
INGREDIENTS
Nutrition- 1
- 1lb spicy ground pork sausage (Jimmy Dean HOT breakfast sausage works well, or any Italian ground spicy sausage)
- 2(29 ounce) cans store-bought spaghetti sauce (I like Dole Four Cheese blend, but you could use any flavor or brand, or make your own)
- 4
- 4
- 1
- 1medium red pepper, coarsely chopped
- 1
- 2cups sliced mushrooms (fresh or canned, stems or pieces okay, no need to drain)
- 4 -6
- 1teaspoon oregano
- 1teaspoon italian seasoning
- 1tablespoon parsley
- 1
- 1⁄2 - 1
- 1⁄2 - 1
- 1⁄2
- 1⁄4
- 1⁄2 - 1
DIRECTIONS
- In two separate skillets or pots, brown the sausage and ground beef, and break into bite-sized chunks. Do not brown sausage and beef in the same skillet, or all the meat will taste like sausage. Drain grease well, then combine into a large stew pot and set aside.
- While the meat is browning, chop all veggies into coarse pieces. Add to stew pot with all other ingredients except the parmesan cheese.
- Simmer sauce over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 2 hours or until celery is tender. I recommend covering the pot with splatter guard to prevent splatter, but do not use a lid as the steam needs to escape.
- In last 10 minutes of cooking, remove bay leaf, stir in the parmesan cheese to thicken the sauce. Use more or less to desired thickness.