It took years to get this sauce just the way I wanted it, but I eventually found the sweet spot! I make large batches to freeze so I can have on hand any time. Great for gifting, and taking to grieving folks for "funeral food" too, instead of another box of chicken.
Course Main Course, Sauces
Cuisine American, Italian
Author Wendy Perry
Ingredients
Roasted Garlic
2cupsgrapeseed or olive oil
3cupsgarlic cloves
Sauce
1cupgrapeseed or olive oil
3poundsground sweet Italian sausage
3poundsground chuck
38-ounce cartonssliced mushrooms,chopped
3largeyellow onions,chopped
6largered bell pepper,cut in 1" pieces
1 ½cupsItalian seasoning
2tablespoonsground fennel seed
¼cupchili powder
4teaspoonscayenne pepper
4bay leaves
¼cupsalt
¼cupblack pepper
228-ounce cansfinely diced tomatoes
428-ounce canscrushed tomatoes
6tablespoonssugar
6tablespoonsbutter
Instructions
Preheat oven (or toaster oven) to 325 degrees. Put garlic cloves in a baking dish and cover with oil. Roast 25–30 minutes just until cloves are lightly browning, soft and can be mashed with a fork. When done, remove cloves from oil with slotted spoon and mash. Save oil for later use.
Use the roasted garlic oil in dressings, to sauté meats and vegetables or for dipping bread.
Heat 1 cup of oil in a 12-quart pot over medium-high heat. Pinch sausage into 1" pieces and drop into the hot oil (no need to form the meat into balls). Cook in batches, stirring to brown. Remove with slotted spoon.
Brown beef in the sausage drippings, stirring to crumble as it cooks. Drain and return to pot. Stir in mashed garlic and remaining ingredients except sugar and butter. Loosely cover and bring to a slow boil, stirring often. Simmer for about 2 hours. Remove from heat and stir in sugar and butter. Package, cool and freeze.
Notes
* Helpful Hint: Buy sausage and red peppers when you find on sale. Slice and freeze the peppers ahead of time for spaghetti cooking day.