Many years ago I was given this recipe by a friend of my daughter’s, and I wish to share it with you. I prefer using Mutti crushed tomatoes, but any brand will do.

Ingredients:

1 large finely diced onion

2-3 cloves of finely diced garlic

2 stalks of finely diced celery

2 medium shredded carrots

1 pound of 80% ground chuck

1 – 28 oz. can and 1 – 14oz can of crushed tomatoes

olive oil

2 bay leaves

salt, pepper and if needed, honey to taste

Directions:

Cover the bottom of a good stockpot with a coating of olive oil. Heat. Add diced onion and garlic and sauté until onion is translucent. Then add celery and carrots. When vegetables are soft, add the beef, break it up and mix it into the vegetables. When beef has browned, add cans of crushed tomatoes. Fill the empty 14oz. can with water, pour that into the empty larger can, and then pour the tomato water into the sauce. Stir and lower flame so sauce is just barely simmering. Add bay leaves and some salt and pepper at this point. Let the sauce cook for several hours, perhaps 3 to 4, stirring from time to time, until sauce thickens. When it has reached the desired consistency, adjust the salt and pepper. If it is too sour, add honey, a little at a time, to taste. Serve over pasta.