Mom's Spaghetti Sauce

4.60 from 5 votes

This recipe has been a tried and true family favorite for many, many years.

Prep Time25

Cook Time3

Total Time3 25

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: spaghetti, spaghetti sauce

Servings: servings (1 cup per serving)

Author: Lori Lange/ RecipeGirl

¼ cup olive oil
4 tablespoons (½ stick) butter
1 pound ground beef
4 medium onions, chopped
4 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped
salt and pepper, to taste
celery salt, to taste
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
½ cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped finely
½ cup dried mushrooms, soaked in 1 cup of hot water, then chopped (save soaking liquid)
One 32-ounce can whole tomatoes, mashed with liquid
Six 8-ounce cans tomato sauce
1½ cups water
1 cup white wine
1 teaspoon granulated white sugar

Heat the olive oil and butter together in a large skillet. Add the ground beef and saute until browned. Add the onions and continue to saute until onions are browned.
Mix in the garlic and add salt, pepper and celery salt, to taste. Stir in the rosemary, thyme, and parsley. Add the mushrooms (with the soaking liquid), tomatoes, and tomato sauce. Use the 1½ cups of water to pour into the empty tomato sauce cans. Swoosh it around and add the tomato-water to the sauce too. Stir in the wine and sugar.
Simmer for 3 hours over low heat, partially covered.

This sauce yields a larger amount than you would typically use for a pasta recipe. Freeze the rest in covered plastic containers or in freezer zip bags.
Acceptable white wines for this sauce are Chablis, Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay. If you don't wish to use wine at all, use chicken broth mixed with a little bit of lemon juice.
If you're counting WW Points be sure to use 95% lean ground beef when making the sauce.
If you're counting calories, this sauce is great served over cooked spaghetti squash!