Each family has its unique spaghetti sauce recipe, which they keep under lock and key. I got it from my mother, and she got it from her sister-in-law, who most likely gave it to someone else… It improves with time since we tweak it up a little with each generation! And I can honestly say that this is the finest sauce I’ve ever had. Please don’t leave out any of the ingredients; it’s the mix that makes it so delicious.
But be cautious! This sauce is unlike any other! It has a pleasant spicy flavor with a hint of sweetness. To love him, you must be able to appreciate these two attributes…
Ingredients :
1 tablespoon vegetable oil (or olive oil)
2 big onions, chopped 1 large green bell pepper, chopped 4 celery stalks, chopped 4 medium-sized pods, chopped 3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 can sliced mushrooms
2 pound ground beef, medium fat (You may use ground tofu instead, or cut the recipe in half.) It’s equally as good.)
1 small can of tomato paste (156 mL)
2 stewed, diced, or whole tomatoes (796 mL each), to taste
1 tomato soup can (284 mL) (such as Elmer’s or Campbell’s)
1 big tomato juice can (1.5 liters)
1/2 teaspoon each of rosemary, marjoram, thyme, nutmeg, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, salt, and pepper ° \spepper
4 bay leaves
1/2 cup brown sugar tightly packed (the personal touch!!!)
Preparation:
In a big, deep saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Cook, occasionally stirring, for 10 minutes after adding the chopped veggies. Cook until the minced beef is brown, then add it to the pan.
Then, one at a time, add the tomatoes (paste, tomato, soup, and juice), stirring after each addition.
Add the spices and bay leaves one at a time, stirring after each addition. After that, add the brown sugar. Mix thoroughly.
Bring the sauce to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring regularly, for 4 hours, uncovered. The surface of the sauce should be gravy-like. The sauce is ready when it thickens nicely (cooking time may vary depending on the variety of tomato and the intensity of the fire). Cook until the desired consistency is reached).
Remove the bay leaves from the dish. While the sauce is still hot, pour it into sterilized jars. When cool, fasten lids and freeze jars. Take a day ahead of time and store in the refrigerator. It will gently melt while retaining all of its texture and flavor.
Enjoy!