Wile away a rainy day by making this long-simmered sauce of ground beef, tomatoes, mushrooms, onions, celery, bell peppers, Italian seasonings, basil and garlic. Serve over spaghetti and top with a grating of Parmesan.
INGREDIENTS (for 7 servings):
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 2 (28 ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes
- 2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 4 stalks celery, chopped
- 2 green bell peppers, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 15 fresh mushrooms, sliced
- 5 tablespoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
- 4 bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 pound spaghetti
PREPARATION:
In a large skillet, brown beef over medium heat until no longer pink; cut up any remaining chunks of beef and reserve.
In a large saucepan, combine whole tomatoes and paste; mash until smooth. Cover and heat on low.
In a large skillet over medium heat, quickly sear onion and celery until transparent; add to tomato sauce in saucepan. In same skillet, saute bell peppers and mushrooms for a few minutes, but do not allow them to become soft; add to tomato sauce.
Add Italian seasoning, dried red pepper flakes, bay leaves, basil and garlic to tomato sauce; add beef and mix. Remove cover, simmer over low heat and continue to simmer all day, stirring occasionally.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
Add sauce to pasta; serve.