Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards | Barbara�s Italian Spaghetti Sauce

Barbara is my college roommate's mother. This is my very favorite spaghetti sauce in the whole world. It's similar to Bevrs' Crockpot Italian Spaghetti Sauce, so you can use the suggestions there for converting it to a meatless sauce. You might even be able to make this in your crockpot, although I've never tried it. I love to make this on a Fall or Winter Sunday afternoon and enjoy the wonderful smells as it simmers.

Barbara's Italian Spaghetti Sauce

Serves 6

Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup onion slices {I use 1 whole onion; sliced really is better than chopped for this recipe}
- 2 Tbsp olive or salad oil {I use olive oil; you can reduce this if you want, but at 6 servings, it works out to only 1 teaspoon of added oil per serving}
- 1 pound ground beef {I use 1/2 pound ground turkey}
- 2 cloves garlic, minced {I use at least 6}
- 2 1-pound cans (4 cups) tomatoes {I use 2 14.5 ounce cans of diced tomatoes}
- 2 8-ouce cans (2 cups) tomato sauce
- 1 cup water
- {I add 1 6-ounce can tomato paste}
- 1 3-ounce can mushrooms, sliced {I use 1 4-ounce can}
- 1/4 teaspoon thyme {I use a heaping 1/2 teaspoon}
- 1 bay leaf {I use 2}
- 1/4 cup chopped parsely {if I don't have fresh, I skip it, but my roommate always uses dried}
- 1-1/2 teaspoon oregano OR sage {I use 1 heaping TABLEspoon of oregano}
- 1 teaspoon salt {I use 1-1/2 teaspoons}
- 1/2 teaspoon Accent {OMIT - this is basically MSG in a box}
- {I add 1 heaping teaspoon fennel seed; if you use the original amounts for the other herbs, then add 1/2 teaspoon fennel seed}
- {I add 1/2 cup red wine - thanks, Bev}

Directions:
Cook onion in hot oil till golden. Add meat and garlic; brown lightly. Add remaining ingredients. Simmer uncovered 2 to 2-1/2 hours or until thick. {You can get away with 1 to 1-1/2 hours, but the longer you cook it, the better it is.} Remove bay leaf. Serve on cooked hot spaghetti. Top with Parmesan cheese if desired. {I skip the cheese; if you want it, use soy or rice cheese.}

Fat Math:

With 2 Tablespoons of oil, the entire recipe (sauce only) has 922 calories, 254 of them from fat; or 28% of calories from fat.

With 1 Tablespoon of oil, the entire recipe (sauce only) has 802 calories, 134 of them from fat; or 17% of calories from fat.

With 2 Tablespoons of oil and served over 12 ounces of pasta (6 2-ounce servings), the entire recipe (sauce and pasta) has 2122 calories, 314 of them from fat; or 15% of calories from fat.

With 1 Tablespoon of oil and served over 12 ounces of pasta (6 2-ounce servings), the entire recipe (sauce and pasta) has 2002 calories, 194 of them from fat; or 10% of calories from fat.

Cook's Notes:

This doubles or triples easily and freezes beautifully. You can cook it without defrosting if you're in a hurry: put the frozen chunk in a saucepan, add a little water, turn on a very low flame, and keep turning the chunk until it melts.

I find it easiest to brown the ground turkey by itself in a non-stick skillet. That makes it easier to work with - it's really important to break up all the chunks of meat. Then I put the meat in a very large pot (like a stew or soup pot) and cook the onion and garlic in the same skillet. I add the onion and garlic to the large pot, add all the other ingredients, and simmer away.

Because I make this so often and much prefer fresh parsley, when I buy a bunch of parsley at the store, I chop it all, divide it into 1/4 cup portions, and freeze each 1/4 cup of parsely with one 8-ounce can of tomato sauce. When I make the sauce, I use that frozen tomato sauce/parsley combination.

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[Research tells us fourteen out of any ten individuals likes chocolate. - Sandra Boynton]

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