Don't let the laundry list
of ingredients scare you off, this goes together fast and is
worth the extra effort for a tastier sauce.
Quick Spaghetti
Meat Sauce
1 teaspoon dried basil
leaves
1 teaspoon dried oregano
leaves
1 bay leaf
1 to 1 1/2 pounds lean
ground beef (or combination of ground beef and pork; or Italian
sausage)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon granulated
garlic or to taste
1 medium onion, chopped
1 (6-ounce) can tomato
paste
1 (16-ounce) can tomato
sauce
1 (28-ounce) can crushed
tomatoes in juice, undrained
1 to 1 1/2 cups beef broth
(depending how thick you want the sauce)
1 (4-ounce) can sliced
mushrooms (optional)
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire
sauce
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon dried parsley
(1 tablespoon dried)
Freshly ground pepper
to taste
1 (16-ounce) package spaghetti
pasta, cooked according to package
directions
Freshly grated Parmesan
cheese for accompaniment
In a small bowl or cup,
combine the basil, oregano and bay leaf; set aside.
In a large saucepan, brown
ground beef over medium-high heat; drain fat. Season with salt
and garlic; add the onion to saucepan and cook until softened,
about 5 minutes. Stir in reserved spice mixture and cook, stirring,
for 1 minute. Add remaining ingredients; bring to a boil; reduce
heat and simmer, uncovered, for 15 to 30 minutes.
To serve, ladle sauce
over pasta, which has been cooked al dente (cooked with a nice firm bite) and sprinkle
with the Parmesan cheese.
