Classic (Anzia) Spaghetti Sauce

At long last, here it is… the famous Anzia family spaghetti sauce, originally adapted by Loretta Dillon, later improved upon by Dan Anzia, given to me by his eldest daughter Carolyn, and further slightly modified by me.

It’s a classic Italian red sauce.

Ingredients

  • 1 onion, diced

  • 1 green pepper, diced

  • 2 lbs ground beef

  • 1⁄3 - ½ lb mushrooms, sliced.

  • 2 cloves garlic, pressed or finely chopped

  • 1 28 oz can of peeled tomatoes (with basil is ok)

  • 2 14 oz. cans of tomato sauce

  • 12 oz. tomato paste (two 6-oz cans)

  • dried oregano

  • dried basil

  • ¼ - 1⁄3 cup dried parsley flakes

  • 2 bay leaves

Directions

  • Sautee onions and peppers until soft. Add ground beef, and continue sauteeing until meat is well browned.

  • Meanwhile, brown garlic in large dutch oven. Add the sliced mushrooms and sautee until soft. Add tomato sauce and whole tomatoes, mashing whole tomatoes up by hand or with a wooden spoon. large pot. Add parsley and bay leaves.

  • Add the tomato paste to the meat mixture, browning it very slightly in the bottom of the pan. Add a bit of tomato mixture to the meat to deglaze the pan, pouring this mixture back into the tomato mixture.

  • Sprinkle enough oregano to completely cover the center half of the pot. Add a few shakes of basil. Season to taste, of course.

  • Let simmer on low for about an hour, stirring occasionally. Makes 12-16 servings, which freeze extremely well.