Spaghetti with Ground Beef and Mushrooms

A couple days ago I posted my recipe for chicken cacciatore, and noted how it was an easy meal to prepare for dinner guests. All you need to do is supply some French or sourdough bread for dipping in olive oil and vinegar (or alternatively, frozen garlic bread or bread sticks from a bakery), a tossed salad, and a bottle of wine, and you have a complete meal, perfect for company.

Another entree I like to serve with these same sides is good ol' spaghetti. It's not a "fancy" dish, but one most everyone enjoys....and, it's very easy to prepare. Chances are, you have a recipe for spaghetti sauce that you like to make. For today, I thought I'd post mine. I've been making this recipe for many years. If you like, you can even make this sauce ahead of time and reheat it in the microwave right before serving time. This sauce freezes very well. So here you go:

Spaghetti with Ground Beef and Mushrooms

2 pounds lean ground beef
3 large onions, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 28-ounce can and 1 14-ounce can tomatoes (crushed or broken whole tomatoes)
2 12-ounce cans tomato paste
3 cups water
2-3 large cans mushrooms (or 1 qt. fresh mushrooms, which have been sautéed in 2 T. butter)
2 T. dried parsley
1 T. dried oregano
1/4 cup minced fresh basil
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
1 T. garlic powder
1 tsp. black pepper

In Dutch oven, brown ground beef, green pepper and onions together. Drain off excess grease (I use a sieve). Add the rest of the ingredients. Simmer over low heat about 1 hour. Serve sauce over cooked spaghetti (or other type of pasta), and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Buona cena!

~Becky