Denny swears this is the best spaghetti sauce he’s ever eaten. Okay, he could be a bit prejudiced. Or loyal. (Or just plain savvy!) But the recipe was tested and re-tested, and we think he may be right!
1 lb. lean ground beef
2 medium (or 1 large) onions, chopped
½ lb. mushrooms, sliced
1 (28-oz.) can tomatoes
1 (6-oz.) can tomato paste plus 1 can water
2–3 tsp. basil
2–3 tsp. oregano
1–2 tsp. salt (to taste)
1 Tbsp. sugar or honey
4 garlic cloves, crushed or minced
Brown the ground beef in the bottom of the pot you will be using to make the sauce. Turn down the heat and add the onions and mushrooms. While they are cooking, blend the tomatoes, tomato paste, and water. When onions and mushrooms are soft, pour off any extra grease from the meat, and add the blended tomatoes and remaining spices. Simmer 15–20 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook 1 lb. spaghetti or pasta according to package directions, drain, load each plate with pasta, and pass the sauce and grated Parmesan cheese. (Tossed green salad and hot garlic bread are de rigor, of course.)
*Jodi’s cooking tip for chopping onions: Peel the onion (’natch). Then slice the bulb in half lengthwise (top to bottom) and lay one half flat-side down on your cutting board and make four or five more lengthwise slices angled to the center from one side to the next. Holding the slices together with the flat side still down on your cutting board, rotate the onion 90 degrees. Then slice the onion sideways across the lengthwise cuts. Jodi says this method helps her to “chop” onions twice as fast, into evenly sized pieces, and with half the eye irritation.