SPAGHETTI WITH MEAT SAUCE

SPAGHETTI WITH MEAT SAUCE image

Yield Serves 6

Number Of Ingredients 14

Extra virgin olive oil to coat the bottom of the skillet
3 onions, sliced thin
1-2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 lb ground round
1 lb Italian sausage, cut into 1" rounds
1 6 oz can tomato paste
1 28 oz can tomatoes
1 large can mushroom stems and pieces
1 teaspoon each dried fennel, crushed red pepper and salt
2 teaspoons each dried basil and oregano
Fresh ground black pepper to taste
1-1/2 lbs spaghetti
1 Tablespoon salt
1/4 lb (1-1/3 cup) fresh grated parmesan cheese

Steps:

Put the oil and onions in a large skillet and cook over medium high heat until onions are soft. Add the garlic and meat and cook until browned, stirring occasionally. Add remaining ingredients, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 2-3 hours. Correct seasonings. Let mellow in refrigerator for a day. The next day, reheat the sauce while boiling 8 quarts of water is a large pot and add 1 tablespoon salt. Add 1-1/2 lbs spaghetti, stirring until water boils rapidly again. Cook 9-10 minutes until al dente. Drain, but do not rinse spaghetti. Save a couple of cups of the water used to cook the spaghetti. Return the spaghetti to the pot it was cooked in and add 3 cups of sauce. Stir together, adding reserved spaghetti water as needed for consistency and taste and serve with remaining sauce and fresh grated Parmesan cheese in separate bowls. Any remaining sauce and cooking water should be saved in a separate containers to add to leftover spaghetti when it is reheated.