So obviously, I’m not an Italian lady. My roots are a lot Irish and … well, as many others out there, a plethora of other things. That being said, my love of food stems very much so from my fond memories of sitting on my great-grandma’s kitchen counter and watching her cook for hours on end.

Lengthy cooking times tend to be a thing of the past these days, especially with our fancy gadgets like crock pots and pressure cookers. Trust me, I’m a HUGE fan of the quick and easy recipes, but I’m here to warn you that THIS recipe is not quick by any means. This Old Fashioned Spaghetti Sauce takes it’s time with cooking for a whole TWO HOURS. And I promise, it’s worth every minute of that cook time.

This sauce is started out with ground beef. Not Italian sausage or anything else fancy. Just. Ground. Beef. From there you build flavors with garlic, spices, and plenty of tomato goodness. What really makes the difference though? The SUPER LONG cook time and the attention you put into checking the sauce every 15 minutes or so to stir it and add in more water if needed.

The end result is a perfectly flavorful old fashioned spaghetti meat sauce that is sure to impress. Truly this is a stand alone dish. I served mine over some whole wheat noodles with the intention of doing a small salad on the side, but… I didn’t find the salad necessary at all. So I ended up leaving it off entirely

Once again, this recipe seems to prove that less is more. With there being just a handful of ingredients, you can make one power-bomb of a sauce that is lightyears better than any can, jar, or even restaurant.

Step-by-Step Photos:

Nutritional Claims: Dairy Free • Gluten Free • Wheat Free • Egg Free • Milk Free • Peanut Free • Tree Nut Free • Soy Free • Fish Free • Shellfish Free • Pork Free • Crustacean Free • Celery Free • Mustard Free • Sesame Free • Lupine Free • Mollusk Free • Alcohol Free • No Oil Added • Kosher