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.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Poilievre will do 'anything to win,' must condemn Alex Jones endorsement: Trudeau
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is ramping up his attacks on Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre as he promotes his government's federal budget.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
New evidence challenges the Pentagon's account of a horrific attack as the U.S. withdrew from Afghanistan: CNN exclusive
New video evidence uncovered by CNN significantly undermines two Pentagon investigations into an ISIS-K suicide attack outside Kabul airport, during the American withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
All Alberta wildfires to date in 2024 believed to be human-caused: province
There are 63 wildfires burning in Alberta's forest protection area as of Wednesday morning and seven mutual aid fires, including one in the Municipal District of Peace.
Video shows suspects waving weapons, smashing glass in Toronto jewelry store robbery
Arrests have been made after five men were captured on video rampaging through a jewelry store in Toronto, waving weapons and smashing glass display cases.
Pilot proposes to flight attendant girlfriend in front of passengers
A Polish pilot proposed to his flight attendant girlfriend during a flight from Warsaw to Krakow, and she said yes.
Ottawa injects another $36M into fund for those seriously injured or killed by vaccines
The federal government has added $36.4 million to a program designed to support people who have been seriously injured or killed by vaccines since the end of 2020.
Ex-SNC executive sentenced to prison term in bridge bribery case
The RCMP says a former SNC-Lavalin executive has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison in connection with a bribery scheme for a bridge repair contract in Montreal.