The Best Spaghetti Sauce

Shortly before I went to university, I lived with my father in the small town of Berwyn, Alberta. The old sign at the outside of town read “Population 50 and Growing.” While there I worked as a cashier at a local supermarket in Grimshaw where an Italian man frequently came in to purchase ingredients for his spaghetti sauce. Try as I might I never could weasel the recipe out of him but he did tell me that he always put in carrots and red wine. Here’s my version, which I’ve been making and perfecting ever since.

Serves 8 to 10

2 medium onions, chopped

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 stalks, celery, diced into ¼” (.5 cm) cubes

1 medium carrot, diced into ¼” (.5 cm) cubes

2 tbsp (30 ml) canola oil

2 lbs (907 g) regular ground beef or bison

28 oz (796 ml) diced tomatoes

7 ½ oz (227 g) tomato sauce

10 oz (284 ml) Campbell’s condensed tomato soup

1 cup (250 ml) Italian red wine

10 oz (284 ml) beef broth

2 bay leaves

3 tbsp (45 ml) Worcestershire sauce

½ tsp (2 ml) chili flakes, or more

1 tsp (5 ml) black pepper

2 tsp (10 ml) dried oregano, preferably Greek oregano

1 tsp (5 ml) dried basil leaves

1 tsp (5 ml) granulated sugar

1 tsp (5 ml) salt

¾ lb (375 g) thinly sliced raw button or cremini mushrooms

In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, sauté the onion, garlic, celery, and carrots in the oil until translucent, about 5 minutes. Transfer vegetables to a bowl.

Without adding more oil to the pot, brown the meat until all traces of red have disappeared. With a bulb baster, siphon off all the juice and fat into a glass measuring cup. Return the meat to the heat and add the reserved vegetables.

Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato soup, red wine, beef broth, bay leaves, Worcestershire sauce, chili flakes, black pepper, oregano, basil, granulated sugar and salt. Using a bulb baster, siphon off the beef juice that has settled to the bottom of the glass measuring cup and add it back to the meat mixture, together with enough water to measure 1 cup (250 ml).

Add the mushrooms. Bring to a boil and simmer over low heat for 3 hours, stirring often, about every 20 minutes. When the mixture is thick and the liquid has evaporated, taste and adjust seasonings, adding more herbs or salt, as needed.

Serve over al denté cooked noodles (spaghetti, spaghettini, or capellini). Top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.