The Best Spaghetti Sauce
Rated 3.2 stars by 11 users
Category
Beef
Servings
6-8
Prep Time
30 minutes
Cook Time
2-3 hours
Ingredients
-
2 medium onions, chopper
-
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
-
2 stalks celery, diced
-
1 medium carrot, diced
-
2 tbsp oil
-
2 lbs/907 g ground beef
-
28 oz/796 mL diced tomatoes
-
1 can (7 ½ oz/227 mL) tomato sauce (not spaghetti sauce; it’s usually found next to the tomato paste in the supermarket)
-
1 can 10 oz/284 mL condensed tomato soup, ideally Campbell’s
-
1 cup red wine
-
1 ¼ cup beef broth
-
2 bay leaves
-
3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
-
½ tsp chili flakes
-
1 tsp black pepper
-
2 tsp dried oregano
-
1 tsp dried basil
-
1 tsp salt
-
¾ lb/340 g sliced raw button mushrooms
Directions
In a large dutch oven or stock pot, saute the onion, garlic, celery and carrots in the oil until translucent, about 5 minutes. Season with a bit of salt and then transfer to a bowl.
In the same pot, brown the beef until all traces of red have disappeared. With a bulb baster, siphon off the juices and fat into a measuring cup.
Add the reserved vegetables back into the stock pot and then add the remaining ingredients. Using the bulb baster, siphon the drippings that have settled to the bottom of the measuring cup back into meat-veg mixture along with enough water to equal 1 cup. Discard the fat. Mixture will be watery, but don’t worry, the long slow cooking will reduce the liquid.
Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Simmer, uncovered, over low heat for 2-3 hours, stirring about every 20-30 minutes. When the mixture is thick, taste and adjust seasonings.
Serve over al dente spaghetti noodles. Top with freshly grated parmesan cheese.