Italian Tomato Sauce

The best spaghetti sauce! We had this every Wednesday when I was growing up. The secret ingredient is the nutmeg. Just a pinch. Delicious! Serve over spaghetti.

• Preparation Time: 20 mins
• Cooking Time: 30 mins
• Total Time: 50 mins
• Calories: 201 Calories

Ingredients

• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 onion, diced
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 pound ground beef
• ¼ cup chopped celery
• 2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
• ¼ cup parsley
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, or to taste
• 1 small garlic clove, minced
• 1 (8 ounce) package sliced mushrooms, or to taste
• 40 ounces Italian-style stewed tomatoes
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda, or to taste

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Saute onion, celery, and garlic in hot oil until softened, about 5 minutes; add beef and cook, stirring to break into small chunks, until no longer pink, 5 to 7 minutes more.

Step 2

Stir stewed tomatoes and tomato paste with the beef mixture until smooth; add mushrooms, Parmesan cheese, parsley, salt, sugar, nutmeg, oregano, and black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is flavorful, about 10 minutes.

Step 3

Stir baking soda into the sauce. Continue cooking until you can taste a reduction in acidity of the sauce, about 10 minutes more.