How to Make Delicious Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

Is your garden overflowing with tomatoes right now? Has someone gifted you with extras from their garden? It's a perfect opportunity to whip up some savory spaghetti sauce - you'll be surprised how much better it tastes than the stuff you buy in a jar.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• fresh tomatoes
• onion
• garlic (cloves or minced)
• Italian spices
• olive oil
• salt & pepper
• hamburger, sausage, or your meat of choice
• any other vegetables that you wish

1. Depending on how many people you will be feeding, choose 3 to 4 tomatoes per serving. Wash tomatoes and place them in boiling water for 2 minutes, then rinse with cold water to remove skins. You may crush with a wooden spoon, or just let them break up on their own as they cook down. Place tomatoes in a large pot on your stove and turn on medium heat.

2. Chop onions to the size of your preference, and add to tomatoes. Use as many or as few onions as you like. I put a whole small onion in mine. Add about 1 tablespoon olive oil. Measure 1 to 2 tablespoons of Italian spices (or use your own mixture, if you prefer), depending on how much sauce you are making. If you have fresh oregano, chop some up and add as well.

3. Chop 1 to 2 cloves of garlic, or use about 1 teaspoon of minced garlic (or as much as you like). Add salt and pepper to taste. Go light on the garlic and salt and pepper; you can always add more later.

4. If you are using hamburger, brown it in a saucepan and drain fat before adding to tomato mixture. If you are using other meat, chop or shred well before adding (unless you are using shrimp). Add as much or as little as you like.

5. Let tomato mixture cook for an hour or so to blend all the flavors. Taste for spices; add more if necessary. After an hour or so of cooking, add additional soft vegetables such as mushrooms, zucchini, peppers, etc. You may want to add a dash of red pepper flakes for a bit of spiciness.

6. Cook until all vegetables are tender and spices have permeated all ingredients to taste. Serve with cooked spaghetti, or, for a low-fat alternative, bake a spaghetti squash and use in place of pasta. Put the spaghetti squash in the oven at 350 degrees for about an hour before you plan to serve, less or more time depending on the size of the squash.

7. Serve with parmesan cheese, garlic bread, salad, or any other additions as you wish!

Tips & Warnings

• fresh tomatoes make the best, most flavorful sauce
• don't overdo the spices, you want to be able to taste each one
• be sure all meat is well-cooked
• don't add too many spices at first. Taste and add as needed during cooking.
• vary the amounts according to your preference