I am not a fan of jarred spaghetti sauce. Yes, it's easy. Yes, there are lots of homemade-ish versions sitting on supermarket shelves. However, nothing - absolutely nothing - beats a nice home cooked sauce. This version is very easy and came to me via the ultimate super cook: Mimi. Mimi is not of Italian descent and she developed this recipes in the early 70's so it features a few short-cuts that the truly Mediterranean may frown upon. It is, however, delicious, quick, and much-requested in this house - even by the truly Mediterranean.
1 lb ground round (90% lean ... wouldn't go leaner, but can go with slightly higher fat content, say 85% lean)
2 peeled cloves of garlic, smashed a bit to release flavor
1 whole onion peeled
1 can Campbell's tomato soup
1 can diced tomatoes (15 oz)
1 can tomato sauce (15 oz)
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon oregano
3/4 teaspoon sugar
Place ground beef in a large sauce pan. Break up the ground beef and brown over medium heat. Don't be too aggressive with the heat.If the meat browns too fast or too long, I think you lose a bit of tenderness in the meat. You may not think the crumbled, browned meat can be tender, but trust me it can. This is the one part of the recipe that you need to watch closely. Once the meat just loses its pinkness, turn off the heat, and drain the fat which has accumulated. Then place meat back in the pan.
Add to the meat in the saucepan all your canned tomato stuff, smashed garlic, whole onion, spices, and sugar. Stir gently to combine. Cover and let simmer slowly for at least 2 hours - or longer. Give it a stir every now and then, but keep returning the cover to guard the sauce so it doesn't cook down. You can double this recipe easily or add more tomato sauce if you like a less meat-y sauce. Goes with out saying, that leftover sauce freezes well.
Serve over the pasta of your choice.
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