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Momma’s Meat Sauce for Spaghetti




Source of Recipe


My mother


Recipe Introduction


I have eaten this sauce all my life and in spite of the family name Tirelli, it is not a multi-generational traditional family recipe. My mother’s mother, Bomo, was a lousy cook, as was HER mother. Bomo’s “recipe” for spaghetti sauce was ground beef and watered down tomato paste (!!!). The only seasonings in her kitchen were salt and pepper. When Momma was a new wife and mother, she learned how to make this sauce from an Italian woman who lived in our apartments. I cannot vouch for the authenticity of the recipe or whether or not Momma made changes over the years. But it is what I love and I’m finally getting it written down.
I now cook this in a 6 qt. slow cooker, but have always used a large stock pot, as Momma always did. This recipe makes a LOT of sauce. I think we got 4 suppers, a few lunches, and a large lasagna out of it – so probably 10-12 servings.



List of Ingredients




2 and one half pounds of ground beef
1 and one half cups of chopped onion, sweet onion
Pepper and pinch of salt
Six good sized cloves of garlic, minced and
smooshed
Small bottle of dry red wine
2 - 28 ounce cans of crushed tomatoes
1 - 28 ounce can tomato sauce
4 T. tomato paste
2 t. Penzey’s Tuscan Sunset (like Italian seasoning)
1 t. chili powder
2 t. sugar
Bay leaf
Parsley at the end
Grated Parmesan


Recipe



Brown the beef in a large skillet/Dutch oven on medium heat. Put the cooked beef in the slow cooker with a slotted spoon, retaining the fat in the pan. Add the onions, salt, and pepper to the fat in the pan and sauté until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another minute or so – until it is fragrant, but not burnt. Deglaze with the wine. Cook for a couple of minutes and then add to the slow cooker. Add the tomatoes, sauce, paste, Tuscan Sunset, chili powder, sugar, and bay leaf. Mix well and cover.
Cook on LOW for 6-8 hours. You can also cook on HIGH for 3-4 hours, but I prefer the texture when it is cooked on LOW.

After it has cooked for a while, start tasting for any additions that might be needed, including garlic, onion powder, basil, salt, additional sugar.

Before serving, add a handful of chopped parsley and pass grated parmesan.