Spaghetti (Meat) Sauce

I love spaghetti and am perfectly happy to use zoodles as my pasta replacement, but I needed a sauce. Here is what I have come up with. You could leave out the beef broth, but I found it cuts the carbs from the tomatoes and creates a rich flavor without diluting the traditional taste. This is great on zoodles, over meatballs or any where else you would use a meat sauce.

Spaghetti Sauce  

Ingredients

• 1 1⁄2 lbs ground beef
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped (I prefer a sweet onion)
• 1 bell pepper, diced (I like orange or red best)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (to taste)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
• ground pepper
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• 2 (16 ounce) cans tomato sauce
• 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• **OR Sub tomato products with an equal amount of No Sugar Added Premade Sauce** (adjust seasonings accordingly)
• 2 cups beef broth
• 8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced and sauteed in butter (optional)
• 1/2 cup red wine (optional)
• parmesan cheese, freshly grated (optional)

Steps  

• Brown the ground beef, onion, bell pepper and garlic in olive oil with bay leaves, oregano, basil, Italian Seasoning, salt and pepper.
• If you drain the fats from the beef, add a tablespoon or 2 of olive oil back in.
• Add tomato paste, tomato sauce, beef broth and diced tomatoes. (and wine if you are using it)
• Stir well and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
• Cover and simmer for 1 1/2 hours.
• Top with sauteed mushroom. (These can be added in if everyone is a mushroom eater)