How to Make Perfect Spaghetti

When I first started out with a family I had to teach myself many things. Cooking was one of those things that I had to do "trial and error". When you have a family to cook for you have to develop standard dishes that they like and Spaghetti seems to be the number one on the list. I worked on this recipe for about 3 years until I got it right.

Before I give you the recipe I want to say a few things. 1) I use a trio of tomato products to give the sauce the perfect consistency. That would be; stewed tomatoes, tomato sauce, and tomato paste. 2) I use spirits in my food and in spaghetti I use red wine. If you have an objection to this, you can use Balsamic vinegar to give the same flavor and add a touch of sugar to balance the vinegar. Please understand that the taste of Balsamic vinegar is very strong and where you would use a mini bottle of wine for this recipe, you will want to use 2-3 tablespoons of the vinegar. Also you get what you pay for. About $8 is a good amount to pay for Balsamic. A little more than you would usually pay for but not too much. A good bottle can be as much as $100, so $8 os fairly reasonable.

Ingredients:

1lb. ground beef
� lb ground Italian sausage (mild or spicy to taste)
5 large cloves of garlic
� medium onion (chopped)
� green bell pepper (chopped)
1 celery Stalk
Oregano (in leaf, not ground)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 small bottle of red wine (or 2 Tablespoons good Balsamic vinegar)
4-5 Tablespoons of olive oil
1 15 oz. Can Italian stewed tomatoes
1 6 oz. Can of tomato paste
2 15 oz. Cans of tomato sauce
1-2 tablespoons of sugar
1 lb. Of spaghetti pasta of your choice
4-5 Tablespoons of olive oil

Start by browning onion, beef and sausage in large frying pan. To chop garlic, use a chef's knife with a wide flat blade. Place the flat of the blade over the garlic and pound the flat of the blade with you fist, crushing the garlic. This will release the taste of the garlic and make it easier to chop. Then add garlic, chopped bell pepper, and celery. Allow mixture to brown a bit longer.