Louisa’s Spaghetti Sauce

Prep: 12 mins

Cook: 40 mins

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: 6 Servings

Because my family ate dinner at my grandmother’s house or at inexpensive restaurants most nights, eating at home was a rare treat. One of my absolute favorite meals was spaghetti night, and I would get so excited when my mom pulled out her wok to start her meat sauce (unconventional, but we’re Chinese and used our wok for everything). The base of her sauce was always a jar of Prego Traditional Italian sauce, and her spin was adding fresh mushrooms and tomatoes. My sister and I would always fight over how it was served: I voted for tossing the pasta and sauce together, while she wanted to keep things separate. She always won out, although we would mix the leftovers together and that became one of my all-time favorite breakfasts.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced (1 1/2 cups)
6 to 8 ounces white button or cremini mushrooms, sliced about 1/4-inch thick (about 2 3/4 cups)
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more as needed
1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 4 cloves)
1 pound lean ground beef, preferably 90% lean
1 pound beefsteak tomatoes (about 2 large), diced (about 3 cups)
1 (24-ounce) jar Prego Traditional Italian sauce
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 pound dried spaghetti
Finely chopped fresh parsley leaves, for garnish (optional)
Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

Instructions

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat until shimmering. Add 1 diced medium yellow onion, 6 to 8 ounces sliced mushrooms, and 1/2 teaspoon of the kosher salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is tender and the mushrooms start to brown, about 8 minutes. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of heavy salted water to a boil over medium-high heat.
Stir in 1 tablespoon minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add 1 pound lean ground beef and the remaining 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Cook, breaking it up into small pieces and stirring occasionally, until cooked through and browned, 7 to 8 minutes.
Increase the heat to medium-high. Stir in 1 pound diced beefsteak tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes soften and release their juices, about 4 minutes. Stir in 1 (24-ounce) jar Prego Traditional Italian sauce and 1 tablespoon granulated sugar and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat as needed to maintain a simmer and cook until the flavors meld, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, add 1 pound dried spaghetti to the boiling water and cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain the pasta.
Add the pasta to the sauce and toss until the pasta is evenly coated. Taste and season with more kosher salt as needed. Garnish with finely chopped fresh parsley leaves if desired and serve with grated Parmesan cheese.