Spaghetti (Edit)

For better flavor, I recommend using sausage. And the minced mushrooms will add some vitamins and mix really well with the texture of the meat so most people won’t notice the addition. Remember, mushrooms have a LOT of moisture, so when you brown the meat, make sure its not covered too tightly (to allow steam to escape) and that you add the mushrooms at the right step. If using hamburger, double the spices in the recipe and add 1 tsp salt.

Components

  • Marinara Sauce

Yield

6 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 lb hamburger or spicy italian sausage

  • ½ or 1 onion, diced

  • 1 small container mushrooms, minced (optional)

  • 1 Tbsp italian seasoning

  • 1 tsp oregano

  • 1 tsp basil

  • ½ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 Tbsp olive oil

  • ~4 cup marinara sauce

  • ~3-4 cup prepared spaghetti

Directions

  • Coat skillet in olive oil then add garlic. Saute over medium heat until fragrant.

  • Add hamburger or sausage, onion, and mushrooms. Season with italian seasoning, oregano, red pepper flakes, and basil and cook until browned. Drain any excess grease.

  • Add marinara–if using store bought sauce, add a bay leaf and allow meat sauce to simmer for ~30 minutes on low heat.

  • Either add spaghetti directly to the sauce and mix well or pour sauce over noodles (on your plate or bowl) and enjoy.

Marinara Sauce

Ingredients

  • 1 onion, diced

  • 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced

  • 1 Tbsp olive oil

  • ¼ or ½ cup water (optional)

  • 1 16 oz. can finely diced tomatoes

  • 1 15 oz. can tomato sauce

  • 1 tsp salt

  • 1 Tbsp dried basil

  • 1 tsp oregano

  • 1-2 Tbsp sugar

  • 2 Tbsp italian seasoning

  • 1 bay leaf

Steps

  • Put oil in the bottom of the saucepan, then add garlic and lightly brown to make it fragrant. (If you are sensitive to garlic or prefer less of a garlic flavor, feel free to reduce the amount used in this recipe.)

  • Add onion (salt and pepper to taste–like ¼ or ½ tsp of both) and continue cooking until the onion is caramelized.

  • Put onion and garlic mixture into a blender, add water to make it easier to blend. Blend until the mixture forms almost a paste. Spoon mixture back into the saucepan.

  • Add the diced tomatoes, sauce, salt, basil, oregano, sugar, italian seasoning, and bay leaf to the pot and stir well. If you desire a smoother mixture, feel free to replace the diced tomatoes with tomato sauce entirely.

  • Simmer on low for at least 1 hour, stirring occasionally. If you want a thinner sauce, keep the mixture covered. If you want to steam off some of the liquid, then leave the lid cracked so more of the steam can escape. (The longer the mixture simmers, the stronger, deeper, and more complex the flavor will be. The bay leaf really adds to this process so don’t leave it out.) Taste after this first hour and make sure the sauce is balanced. Usually if the sauce is off, it needs a touch more sugar (to counter the salt and bitterness) or spices.