Mouth Waterin’ Spaghetti Sauce

Ingredients:

2 pounds lean ground beef

½ pound ground Italian sausage

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 bell pepper, chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

2 sweet onions, chopped

8 ounces chopped fresh mushrooms

2 tablespoons chopped garlic

Salt

Fresh ground pepper

Ground red pepper (optional)

¼ cup fresh oregano, chopped (you can substitute 1/3 cup ground oregano)

4 fresh bay leaves (hand crush) (you can substitute 6 dried bay leaves)

1 large (28-30 ounce) can of whole tomatoes

2 medium (14-16 ounce) cans tomato sauce

3 small (6-8 ounce) cans tomato paste.

4 cups water

In a large stockpot heat the olive oil, the add garlic, onions, bell pepper and celery. Cook until the celery is fork tender. Into the mixture crumble the Italian sausage and ground beef, cook until brown. Skim off any excess grease. Add mushrooms, oregano, bay leaves, salt and pepper. Stir together, and then add in the whole tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste and water. Bring to a boil then turn down the heat and simmer for 3-4 hours. Serve over fresh cooked pasta.