Best. Spaghetti. Sauce. Ever. (Well, up until today, that is.)

Oh, man, am I getting good at making spaghetti sauce. You'd think I was Italian, instead of English/Irish/Scotch/German. 

Pack of 5 Italian sausage links. About a pound, I think.

1 Tbs Olive Oil

3 small onions (tennis ball sized) diced

1.5 small heads garlic (Yes... The entire head. Don't fear the garlic, it's delicious.), roughly chopped.

1/8 C Italian Seasoning

1/8 C dried Basil

1 C Red wine of choice.

1 28oz can crushed tomatoes (shake can before opening)

1 15oz can tomato sauce (shake can before opening)

1 6oz can tomato paste

2 T balsamic vinegar

Bay leaf(s)

Salt

Pepper

Into your favorite heavy sauce pot, brown the sausages in the olive oil over medium/high heat.

Add the diced onions, stir, and cook for a few minutes to soften. About 5 minutes.

Add the chopped garlic, the Italian seasoning, and the basil. Cook the onion, garlic, sausage, and spice mixture for a few minutes to gook the onions further, to cook the garlic, and to bloom the dried herbs. Stir so you don't burn the onions and garlic. About 7 minutes.

Add the wine, and using your spoon, scrape the little bits of deliciousness off the bottom of the pot. 

Add your crushed tomatoes, your tomato sauce, and your tomato paste. Use water to swish the last bits of paste out of the can. Pour that into the sauce can, and swish to get last of sauce from that can, pour that into the crushed tomato can to get the rest of what's left in that can. Add this to the sauce pot, and stir.

Taste.

It will taste a little sour at this point. 

Add the balsamic vinegar.

Taste again.

See how that sweetened and brightened it up? It's magic. I swear. Glorious stuff!

Add salt and pepper as you and your family/friends/guests enjoy. 

Taste again.

When you have it where you like it, add a bay leaf or two, depending on its size, and put the lid on the pot. Turn it to low, and let it simmer as long as you can stand it. 4 hours at least, but the longer the better.

Today (spaghetti day) is one of my sons worst and longest days. He HATES waiting for the sauce to be done, and asks about every 20 minutes if it's ready and time for supper yet.

Tonight, GranMa (my AMAZING Mother-In-Law) is coming to our house so we can all go see Santa, then she's staying for supper. With our spaghetti, we'll have gluten free garlic bread (yes, more garlic), and a ceasar salad.

Stay hungry, and play with your food.