I had picked up italian sausage from my favorite italian deli, Lucci’s, in Huntington Beach, CA some time ago and stored some of it in the freezer. I had actually bought 2 lbs from them several weeks ago and froze 1 lb of it. the other day I was digging around in my freezer contemplating what I could cook and saw the sausage. A little light bulb went off in my head and I thought, why not make some spaghetti sauce. This is a simple sauce that only gets better the longer it simmers. In a mad hunger rage (ok i’m exaggerating a little), I’ve started eating it after 2 hours of simmering, and its still good. However, I do prefer to have it when its closer to 4 hours of simmering. I normally serve this over spaghetti but any pasta will do. I have used it as my sauce for lasagna, but because of the long simmering I tend to run short on sauce when I make lasagna (maybe I make them to big).

1 lb sweet italian sausage, removed from casings
1 small onion, chopped
3 cloves, minced
2-3 tb dried oregano
2 tb dried basil
28 oz can crushed tomatos
2-15 oz cans tomato sauce
1/2 ts tomato paste
1/2 ts crushed red pepper or to taste
1 tb garlic powder
2 ts salt
1 ts pepper

1. Saute onions until transluscent over medium high heat. Add gralic and saute until the onions just start to brown.

2. Add 1 tb oregeno and 1 tb basil and cook for 1 minute. Add italian sausage. Brown sausage and break it apart as it cooks. About 5 minutes.

3. Add crushed tomatos, tomato sauce, tomato paste, crushed red pepper, garlic powder, salt, pepper and remaining oregano and basil. Bring to a boil. Recude to medium low and simmer 2-4 hours (minium 2 hours).

4. Taste sauce and adjust salt and pepper to taste. If you like a spicier sauce, add more crushed red pepper.

Yield: Enough sauce for about 1 pound spaghetti.