This is a favorite weeknight meal at our house! If you already have Jim’s Italian Sausage and Sicilian Tomato Sauce on hand, it is quite easy to put together and goes a long way (two nights for us). You can certainly get a very tasty result with your favorite sausage and sauce from the store, which we have done many times. That said,  when these ingredients are homespun, it is a remarkable feeling to sit down to this meal on a cold winter night. Looking out at the snow-covered garden patch, I reflect on the process that got us to this simple, Italian-American comfort meal and that nourishes body and soul.

Ingredients for Mom’s Spaghetti Sauce

  • 1 lb. Jim’s Italian Sausage
  • 1 large onion, diced in large chunks (about 1 .5″)
  • 1.5 C. mushrooms, quartered
  • 6 – 8 cloves of garlic, finely minced
  • 1.5 oz. Julienne-cut sun dried tomatoes
  • Dried oregano to taste (1 t. or more)
  • Dried thyme to taste (1/2 t. or more)
  • 6 oz. can tomato paste
  • 3/4 C. hearty red wine
  • 2 pints Sicilian Tomato Sauce
  • Salt and pepper to taste

 

 Instructions

STEP 1
In a large skillet, brown the sausage, breaking it apart with a wooden spatula. When the sausage is cooked, add the onion and half of the garlic and cook for 2 – 3 minutes, then add the mushrooms, sun dried tomatoes and 1 t. oregano and 1/2 t. thyme.

STEP 2
Add the tomato paste to the skillet and mix thoroughly with meat and vegetables, then add the wine and cook stirring constantly for about 2 minutes. Add the Sicilian Tomato Sauce and the rest of the garlic and bring to a boil, stirring frequently.

STEP 3
Simmer the sauce uncovered on low heat for about an hour, stirring occasionally. Adjust oregano, thyme and add salt and pepper to taste. (Sometimes I add a little more wine here, too!) Serve over spaghetti. Makes 6 – 8 servings.