Spaghetti, revisited

I made spaghetti for dinner about a week back, and since I had a little more time (and no jarred sauce), I decided to just make my own.  I don't follow a recipe, just add what I like.  Of course, years of making it has helped me know what I do and don't like.  So here's my version of homemade spaghetti sauce.

The first step is browning the meat.  I use 1 pound of 93/7 ground beef.  I also like to use local meat.  It's a little bit more expensive, but the taste is so much better!  While it's browning I add in half of a diced green bell pepper.  You would also add onion while it's browning, but I had mine already softened.  With the lean ground beef, I don't even have to drain it, so one extra step is cut out.  If it's any more fat than 93/7, I do drain it.

 During the summer we always get huge amounts of tomatoes, and this summer I roasted a whole bunch with onions, and froze them in quart size bags.  One quart size bag holds just enough tomatoes and onions to fit in the Magic Bullet, and is also just the right amount for my sauce.  If you don't have any frozen, I think two cans of tomatoes would probably work just fine.

 After I puree the tomatoes and onions in the Magic Bullet I dump it into the pot with the beef.  If it's looking too thick, I'll add a little bit of water.  I do like thick sauces, but hubby likes them a little thinner.  Do you know how hard it is to take pictures of things in stainless steel pans?  SO reflective!

 While that's starting to simmer I add my seasonings.  These three things are what I typically use.  Sea salt, pepper, and italian seasoning, all from Costco.  I add 1-2 tsp of the italian seasoning, and salt and pepper to taste.

About 10 minutes (not any longer) before I'm ready to serve, I add in half of a small yellow squash.  That way it's cooked, but not soggy.  I would add in more, since it's my favorite, but hubby doesn't like it, so I go easy on it.  He did actually eat it this time, but only because there wasn't much in there.  Here's my yummy gluten free meal.  Did I mention I'm eating gf again?  Well, I am.  My stomach was rebelling, and I'm feeling so much better now.  Mmm...corn pasta (our favorite), homemade sauce, and homemade garlic bread, using Udi's sandwich bread.