This sauce is so good! Absolutely delicious! I have been making it for years and used to always add sugar to it until we started eliminating sugar from our diets. When I made it without the sugar and it was just as good. I have no idea why I always added the sugar!

This sauce is very versatile. You can serve it over spaghetti squash, eat it by itself, use over eggplant or use it in a zucchini noodle lasagna. I used organic chicken sausage links, but you can use any sausage you prefer. Alternatively, you can replace the sausage with ground beef if you prefer only beef. I have used ground sausage and link sausage and they are both wonderful, it really depends on preference. When I used link sausage, I cut the sausage into bite-size pieces after they are cooked.

When purchasing your tomato paste, make sure the bottle is made of glass or that the can is produced without BPA.  We use Bionaturae Organic Tomato Paste, the cans are lined with clear, protective lining and are lead free. When we use diced tomatoes, we purchase Muir Glen Organic Diced Tomatoes, No Salt because the lining of their cans are produced without BPA. “The resin linings of tin cans contain bisphenol-A, or BPA, a synthetic estrogen that has been linked to ailments ranging from reproductive problems to heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. Studies show that the BPA in most people’s bodies exceeds the amount that suppresses sperm production or causes chromosomal damage to the eggs of animals. You can get 50 micrograms of BPA per liter out of a tomato can, and that’s a level that is going to impact people, particularly the young. Choose tomatoes in glass bottles (which do not need resin linings), such as the brands Eden Organic and Bionaturae. You can also get several types in Tetra Pak boxes, such as Trader Joe’s and Pomi.” (Source)

Here is a great reference for BPA free canned food brands.
Here is a BPA Canned Food Pocket Guide to take with you to the store.

The Breast Cancer Fund and Silent Spring Institute found that BPA levels in families who ate fresh instead of canned or plastic-packaged food for THREE days dropped by 60%!

When pepper is ground it immediately starts losing the flavor and aroma of its volatile oils, so it should be ground just before using. Keep a pepper mill near the stove that you can reach for whenever you need it. – Alice Waters

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Meat Sauce

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

See Detailed Nutrition Info on

Whole Food. Real Food. Good Food.

Ingredients

• 1 pound sweet Italian sausage
• 3/4 pound lean ground beef
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
• 1 (15 ounce) can canned tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions

1. In a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot, cook sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until well browned.
2. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water.
3. Season with basil, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and parsley.
4. Simmer, covered, for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Notes:

Purchase organic grass-fed beef and organic sausage if possible.

Real Meat Sauce

Recipe adapted from All Recipes.

• 1 pound sweet Italian sausage
• 3/4 pound lean ground beef
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
• 1(15 ounce) can canned tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

1. In a Dutch oven, cook sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until well browned.
2. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water.
3. Season with basil, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and parsley.
4. Simmer, covered, for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.

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