Sicilian Spaghetti Sauce

I get really tired of jarred spaghetti sauce and this is a really good alternative. It's sweet and spicy and I could really just eat if with a spoon. I typically double it so that I can just use the entire pound of beef and sausage and it makes a TON, so I separate it and freeze it. I usually have enough for 3 or 4 dinners. Don't try to cut down on the cooking time because it does make a difference. It has a long list of ingredients but they are almost all dried spices or canned items so it is VERY easy to make.

Ingredients
1/2 pound mild Italian sausage
1/2 pound lean ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 (8-ounce) cans tomato sauce
1 (6-ounce) can Italian-style tomato paste
3 cups water
1/4 cup sugar
1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
Hot cooked linguine
Shredded Parmesan cheese
Breadsticks (optional)
Preparation
Remove casings from sausage, and discard. Cook sausage and ground beef in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat 6 minutes, stirring until meat crumbles. Add onion and garlic, and sauté 4 minutes or until beef and sausage are no longer pink. Drain and set aside. Wipe skillet clean.

Combine sauce and next 7 ingredients in skillet or Dutch oven; cook, stirring occasionally, 1 hour. Add sausage mixture and mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally, 1 hour and 30 minutes or until mixture thickens. Serve over linguine; sprinkle with cheese. Serve with breadsticks, if desired.




Southern Living, MARCH 2003