Spaghetti and Meat Sauce

(from mom2mpr’s recipe box)

Make once a year and freeze.
Family favorite.

Source: Cooking Light-July 2004

Prep time: 40 minutes
Cook time: 60 minutes
Serves 12 people

Categories: dinner, freeze, ground beef

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds ultra-lean ground beef
  • Cooking spray
  • 1 1/2 cups diced onion
  • 1 1/2 cups diced green bell pepper
  • 1 cup diced red bell pepper
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 cups shredded zucchini (about 2 large)
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 2 (28-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes, undrained
  • 1 (14.5-ounce) can stewed tomatoes, undrained
  • 1 (12-ounce) can tomato paste
  • 1 (7-ounce) bottle roasted red bell peppers, undrained
  • 14 cups hot cooked spaghetti (about 1 3/4 pounds uncooked pasta)

Directions

  1. Cook the meat in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until browned, stirring to crumble. Drain meat well, and set aside. Wipe out pan with a paper towel, and coat with cooking spray.

  2. Place the pan over medium-high heat until hot. Add the diced onion, diced bell peppers, and minced garlic, and sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Add zucchini, and sauté 5 minutes. Drain vegetables. Return meat and vegetables to pan, and stir in dried oregano, salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper. Cook mixture over medium-high heat 5 minutes. Add sugar, crushed and stewed tomatoes, tomato paste, and roasted red bell peppers to pan, and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour or until sauce is thick. Serve the meat sauce over pasta.

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