ITALIAN PASTA SAUCE

Italian Pasta Sauce image

As a special part of their wedding buffet, my daughter Kris' husband fixed a big batch of this thick flavorful pasta sauce. The recipe was brought by his grandmother from Italy more than 80 years ago. -Judy Braun, Juneau, Wisconsin

Provided by Taste of Home

Categories Dinner

Time 2h55m

Yield 20 servings.

Number Of Ingredients 16

Ingredients

4 pounds ground beef
1 pound bulk Italian sausage
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 celery ribs, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cans (28 ounces each) crushed tomatoes in puree
3 cans (6 ounces each) tomato paste
3 cups chicken or beef broth
1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
3/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1 tablespoon sugar
2 to 3 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice, optional
Hot cooked pasta

Steps:

In a Dutch oven or soup kettle, cook beef in 2 batches over medium heat until no longer pink; drain and set aside. Cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain and set aside. In the same pan, saute onion, celery and garlic in oil until vegetables are tender. , Return the beef and sausage to the pan. Add the next 9 ingredients, including allspice if desired, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until sauce reaches desired thickness, stirring occasionally, 2-3 hours. Serve over pasta.Freeze option: Freeze cooled sauce in freezer containers. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Heat through in a saucepan, stirring occasionally. Add a little broth or water if necessary.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 284 calories, Fat 15g fat (5g saturated fat), Cholesterol 57mg cholesterol, Sodium 821mg sodium, Carbohydrate 16g carbohydrate (9g sugars, Fiber 3g fiber), Protein 23g protein.