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8 to 10 Italian sausages
4 large onions, coarsely chopped, or 250-g bag frozen chopped onions
10 garlic cloves, minced, or 2 tbsp bottled chopped garlic
2 796-mL cans diced tomatoes
2 156-mL cans tomato paste, about 1 1/3 cups
2 bay leaves
2 tbsp dried oregano leaves
1 tbsp dried basil leaves
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp sage leaves
1/2 tsp salt
2 to 3 tsp hot-red-chili-flakes, or Tabasco sauce (optional)
Cut sausages in half. Squeeze meat from casings into a large saucepan. Discard casings. Set pan over medium heat (it doesn't need oil). Add onions and garlic. Using a fork, stir meat frequently to keep it crumbly. Cook until meat is no longer pink, 8 to 12 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, bay leaves, oregano, basil, thyme, sage and salt. Add chili flakes, if you like.
Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally. Then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer, stirring often, to develop flavour, 30 to 40 minutes. Discard bay leaves. Great over spaghetti or your favourite noodles. Sauce will keep well, covered and refrigerated, up to 3 days or freeze up to 2 months. To serve later, defrost and reheat in the microwave. Or place in a saucepan with a little water to prevent burning. Stir often over medium-low heat until hot.
Calories 243, Protein 12.5g, Carbohydrates 14.3g, Fat 16.1g, Fibre 2.8g, Sodium 760mg.
A big pot of pasta sauce on the stove is a mid-winter's dream! We've streamlined the recipe using Italian sausages for instant flavour -- much easier than measuring lots of herbs to spice up ground beef and faster than simmering sauce for hours.