Hearty Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

Total Time Prep: 20 min. Cook: 55 min.
Yield 4 cups
Test Kitchen Approved
After years of experimenting, my mom has perfected her hearty spaghetti sauce recipe. It's excellent served with a tossed salad and garlic bread. Although the recipe makes more than two servings, it freezes well. —Jennifer Shaw, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin

Ingredients

  • 1 pound lean ground beef (90% lean)
  • 1/2 cup chopped sweet red pepper
  • 1/4 cup chopped green pepper
  • 1/4 cup chopped celery
  • 1/4 cup chopped onion
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/4 pound sliced fresh mushrooms
  • 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) Italian diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • Hot cooked spaghetti
  • 2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions

  1. In a large skillet, cook the beef, peppers, celery, onion and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink and vegetables are tender; drain. Add the mushrooms; cook for 2 minutes.
  2. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato paste, water, bay leaf, sugar, salt, basil, oregano and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring often. Discard bay leaf. Serve sauce over spaghetti. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Nutrition Facts

1/2 cup: 142 calories, 5g fat (2g saturated fat), 29mg cholesterol, 424mg sodium, 12g carbohydrate (8g sugars, 2g fiber), 13g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 2 lean meat, 1 vegetable.

After years of experimenting, my mom has perfected her hearty spaghetti sauce recipe. It's excellent served with a tossed salad and garlic bread. Although the recipe makes more than two servings, it freezes well. —Jennifer Shaw, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin
Recipe Creator

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