2 Tablespoons of olive oil

1 1/2 pounds of ground meat - the more fat the better for flavor 

2 Sweet Walla Walla onions (or other onion types) - roughly diced 

1/2 a head of garlic - diced or a healthy shaking of garlic powder 

5 pound can of Tomatoes. (or 56 ounces roughly 2 medium sized cans of tomatoes) 

2 Red, 2 Yellow bell peppers - sliced and diced 

20 cremini mushrooms - cut randomly 

1 tablespoon of sugar (dark muscovado sugar is a nice twist) 

a sprinkle of hot pepper flakes 

1/4 cup maple syrup 

Your favorite Sea Salt and Tellicherry Blackpepper to taste


This is a family recipe that we have made over and over. It's meant to be fun and easy to make. 

Time and practice has allowed the formula to evolve into a not so classic Italian tomato-based sauce. 

Anyone can make this homemade tomato pasta sauce with great success. Be sure to make enough and plan on at least 3 hours of simmering. Even better all day or 2 days to be just right to meld and thicken the flavors. 

This is a "sharing" recipe, meaning great to make enough to share with everyone. Or eat all week over with different shapes of pasta, over rice (jasmine or brown rice), or just plain like a thick soup or stew topped with Parmigiano-Reggiano. 

And remember modify this recipe as you want, don't like mushrooms, cut them down or don't include them! Add more or less it all works out and make it "yours".

This simple pasta sauce recipe is really good.