Rigatoni and Sauce

Rigatoni & Italian Sauce

1 Lg can Hunts tomato sauce

2 small cans Hunts tomato paste

1 Lg can tomatoes (try fire roasted)

2 Lg onions Sliced (and made into rings)

1 green pepper sliced into thin strips (then cut in half)

1 Lb ground chuck (optional)

1 Lb white mushrooms (sliced)

4-6 garlic cloves (pressed)

1 stick unsalted butter

1 cup olive oil

(dried spices)

4 whole bay leaves

3-4 Tbsp oregano leaves

2-3 Tbsp marjoram leaves

3 Tbsp minced onion

1 tsp celery seed

1-3 Tbsp garlic powder

1/3 cup red wine

1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

1 Tbcp sugar (raw if you have it)

1 Tbsp salt (1 tsp at a time) (to taste)

1 tsp ground black pepper

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1 Box Rigatoni (cook for more than 16 minutes as it takes more time than on the instructions)

1) Cook the meat and green pepper in a saute pan salt & pepper to medium and set aside. Do not drain. Sprinkle some garlic powder on top.

2) Saute onion rings in 2 TBSP olive oil, cooking half-way and remove from pan. Set aside.

3) Using the same pan saute mushrooms until golden brown, throw in the pressed garlic for two minutes, and set aside. (salt,pepper,olive oil and butter (small amounts in pan)

4) Add tomato paste and sauce and tomatoes to the pan. Add all of the spices (withhold 1/2 of the Garlic powder, and oregano, for later)

5) Add 2 - 3 cups of water. Cook for an hour by bringing to a boil and reducing heat to low to simmer.

6) Add sugar, some more salt, and the wine. Cook down until a good consistency. (see photo)

7) Add some more oregano, garlic powder and salt. (Be sure to taste as you are cooking).

8) Boil water for pasta and add salt right before you add the pasta to cook.

9) Add in the browned beef and green pepper, the onions, the mushrooms and garlic to the sauce. Cook for another twenty minutes, while the rigatoni cooks.

10) Taste the sauce. Add some more drizzles of olive oil and a little more salt if needed.

11) Drain the pasta (reserve a cup of this water) You will need some of the pasta water and the remainder of the butter to toss the rigatoni.

12) Plate up.