Weeknight Ragu

It’s nice to have a go-to spaghetti sauce for times when you want to keep it simple but go beyond the jar. Serves 4-6

• ¾ lb ground beef or bulk Italian sausage
• 1 onion, diced, or 8 oz mushrooms, sliced. Or, do both!
• 1-2 Tbsp tomato paste
• 4-6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp dried herbs such as oregano, thyme, or Italian seasoning
• 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
• 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
• 8 oz can tomato sauce
• 2-4 tsp balsamic vinegar or Worcestershire sauce or a combination, to taste
• Salt and pepper
• To serve: 1 lb pasta

Cook beef or sausage until no longer pink. Use a slotted spoon to remove meat to a dish and set aside. Spoon off excess fat, but keep 2 or 3 Tbsp. Add onions and/or mushrooms and a pinch of salt. Saute until softened and lightly browned. Stir in tomato paste and garlic, and cook for a minute or two. Add dried herbs and canned tomatoes and sauce. Bring to a simmer and let it cook gently, uncovered, while you prep the pasta. When the pasta is ready to serve, stir in the cooked meat, and adjust the seasoning of the ragu with balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire, salt and pepper.

I also like to serve this sauce over Spaghetti Squash Alfredo. Yum!