Fall Harvest Pasta Sauce

I always make a huge batch of this sauce; I love serving it on cold evenings. Extra portions freeze well and are a blessing when I’m pressed for time. Try it on spaghetti squash topped with a sprinkle of freshly grated parmesan cheese, it’s absolutely delish!

Here’s what you’ll need:

1 ½ pounds ground beef

3 tbs. olive oil

1 large onion, diced

3 celery stalks, diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

4 cloves garlic, diced

1 cup white mushrooms, sliced

2 (796ml) cans diced tomatoes

1 (398ml) can tomato sauce

4 tbs. maple syrup

1 tbs. dried oregano

½ tbs. dried basil

1 tsp. cinnamon

½ tsp. allspice

¼ tsp. cloves

1 tsp. salt (or to taste)

½ tsp. pepper (or to taste)

5 bay leaves

1.       Cook ground beef in a large pot, stirring until it is browned, about 10-15 minutes. Remove pot from heat and drain fat.

2.       Return beef to stove. On medium heat, add olive oil, onions and celery to ground beef. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring until onions soften.

3.       Add celery, peppers, garlic and mushrooms, stir and cook for a few minutes.

4.       Stir in diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, maple syrup, oregano, basil, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, salt and pepper. Bring sauce to a light simmer and add bay leaves. Gently simmer sauce for 1 ½ hours, stirring occasionally.