This recipe is a tribute to my Mom. She passed away in the
early 70s from Uterine Cancer and before my children were born. However, I still miss
her greatly.
Mom really liked cooking. So I guess this is why I do too.
My brothers and I really loved her spaghetti, and on spaghetti night by the end
of supper the cooking pots were empty.
Mom made her own spaghetti sauce and she never put Oregano or Italian
seasoning in it. As kids we never knew why
and we never knew most spaghetti sauces were made with them.
What Mom used was Thyme, and so I grew up using it
also. I love mom’s recipe. However,
while the basic recipe is the same I have updated it a little over the years.
Mom’s Spaghetti Sauce
Ingredients:
1 to 1-1/2 pound ground beef
1- 28 or 29-ounce can tomato sauce
1- 15 ounce can diced tomatoes, if desired
1 medium onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
2 stalks fresh celery
¼ celery seeds as well
3 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 to 1-1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 pinches of crushed red peppers, if desired
1 -2 pounds of whole mushrooms (white or Portobello)
Hot cooked thin spaghetti
No oregano, it is already in can sauce
Directions:
1.
In Large skillet cool
ground beef (or chicken if you prefer it) until brown.
2.
Remove beef from skillet and set aside.
3.
Add all veggies,
except mushrooms, to skillet and cook into onion are slightly translucent.
4.
Drain veggie.
5.
Add seasonings, beef,
and veggies to large sauce pan with tomato sauce and diced tomatoes.
6.
Bring to a hard boil
about 7 minutes, stirring constantly.
7.
Then reduce heat to a
slimmer for 30 to 45 minutes.
8.
Stir occasionally to
prevent sticking to the bottom of pan.
While sauce is cooking:
1.
Add 1-1/2 quart of
water to large pot ,
2.
Add 2 teaspoons of
salt.
3.
Bring to a hard boil
of high heat.
4. Reduce heat to medium
setting (6) and add Thin Spaghetti.
5. Cover
and cook at the reduce setting for 6 minute.
6. Remove
from heat. Drain and rinse until somewhat cool.
7. Keep in strainer to drain as much water off spaghetti
as possible. (Can also pat dry Spaghetti lightly in clean dish towel.)
Serve Spaghetti with sauce on top with French bread,
buttered hard roll or Texas toast. You can also serve with a small side salad.
Sauce is even better the second day.
Special Note: Never mix the Spaghetti and its sauce in a pot
together. It seems kind of sacrilege, and this is not Spaghetti Os.
Tip: If you keep a
quarts size bag of chopped onions, green pepper, garlic and celery in the
freezer, you can skip Step 3. Just measure off 2 cups of the frozen veggies and
rinse the frost off, drain of as much of the excess water as possible, and then
add to the sauce pot. I generally keep two quart size bags of the stuff. I use
this method on days that I am under the weather or in a rush to get a meal on
the table. These baggies are also good to have on hand for other recipes that
call for this mixture of veggies.
Chow!
Pssst! My Spice Sage is having a sell on their top spices. If you want to try them out some new and interests spices check them out.
Pssst! My Spice Sage is having a sell on their top spices. If you want to try them out some new and interests spices check them out.
