Food Nanny's Spaghetti and Meat Sauce

I love this hearty and delicious Italian classic! The Food Nanny (Liz Edmunds) has still never let me down; all of her recipes are simply fabulous. This meat sauce is slow cooked on the stove and will make your house smell fantastic as it bubbles away. Serve the sauce over spaghetti or any other type of pasta with a sprinkling of shredded Parmesan.

Spaghetti and Meat Sauce

3, 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes, undrained
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon olive oil, divided
1/3 cup chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef
6 oz can tomato paste
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons dry oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dry basil
1/2 teaspoon dry thyme
1/4 teaspoon crushed bay leaves
2 cups hot water
1 lb dry spaghetti
Parmesan

Put the tomatoes and their liquid in a blender and pulse 4-5 times until crushed a little. Set aside.

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until onion is softened but not browned. Increase heat to medium high and add the meat. Continue to cook, stirring until the meat is browned. Stir in the tomato paste. Cook until the mixture starts sticking to the pan, about 5 minutes. Add reserved tomatoes, brown sugar, oregano, salt, basil, thyme, and bay leaf. Mix well. Stir in the water. Bring to a boil, decrease the heat, and simmer uncovered about 2 hours, stirring periodically and add more hot water if the sauce gets too thick.

Twenty minutes before serving, cook the spaghetti according to package directions. Drain.

Pu the spaghetti in a bowl, sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of olive oil and combine. Serve spaghetti with sauce over and Parmesan on top. This dinner goes great with a green salad and some crusty bread.