Italian Pasta Sauce

  Dinner

As a special part of their wedding buffet, my daughter Kris' husband fixed a big batch of this thick flavorful pasta sauce. The recipe was brought by his grandmother from Italy more than 80 years ago.

Italian Pasta Sauce

Average Rating: 4.166666

TOTAL TIME: Prep: 25 min. Cook: 2-1/2 hours
YIELD: 20 servings.

Ingredients

  • 4 pounds ground beef
  • 1 pound bulk Italian sausage
  • 1 large onion, finely chopped
  • 3 celery ribs, finely chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 cans (28 ounces each) crushed tomatoes in puree
  • 3 cans (6 ounces each) tomato paste
  • 3 cups chicken or beef broth
  • 1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
  • 3/4 cup minced fresh parsley
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 2 to 3 teaspoons salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice, optional
  • Hot cooked pasta

Instructions

  • 1. In a Dutch oven or soup kettle, cook beef in 2 batches over medium heat until no longer pink; drain and set aside. Cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain and set aside. In the same pan, saute onion, celery and garlic in oil until vegetables are tender.
  • 2. Return the beef and sausage to the pan. Add the next 9 ingredients, including allspice if desired, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until sauce reaches desired thickness, stirring occasionally, 2-3 hours. Serve over pasta.
    Freeze option:
    Freeze cooled sauce in freezer containers. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Heat through in a saucepan, stirring occasionally. Add a little broth or water if necessary.

Nutrition Facts

1 cup: 284 calories, 15g fat (5g saturated fat), 57mg cholesterol, 821mg sodium, 16g carbohydrate (9g sugars, 3g fiber), 23g protein.

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