Yeah, this recipe makes a lot of sauce, but everyone knows that spaghetti tastes better on the second day. For our family of four, this pot's enough for to provide leftovers for at least another day, my husband's lunch and and extra for freezing, if desired.
- 1 pound ground beef or turkey - both were close to the expiration date, so Harris Teeter reduced the prices. I got the beef for $1.34. The ground turkey was .99 cents
- 3 Tbsp garlic powder
- 1 Tbsp celery seed
- 2 Tbsp Italian seasoning
- Lots of diced veggies - onions, squash, zucchini, stewed tomatoes, olives (I usually use the chopped olives), eggplant, spinach, cooked carrots, bell peppers, and celery
- 1/4 cup red wine, optional
- 3 cans large cans spaghetti sauce
- 2 pounds whole wheat or whole grain pasta, cooked al dente and drained - I shelled out a few extra pennies for Mueller's whole wheat pasta that wasn't on sale, but it was cheaper than what I used to buy at Walmart. It does have a distinctive texture that takes some getting used to, so try Barilla Plus or Ronzoni whole grain varieties for a more traditional pasta texture.
Super Duper Vegetarian Version: This recipe's easy to modify for vegans and vegetarians. Just skip the meat and saute the veggies in 2 Tbsp vegetable or olive oil. Proceed with the remaining recipe but skip the cheese. Try something new and replace pasta with spaghetti squash!
Minimize Waste: The veggie scraps ended up in our compost pile and I'm saving seeds from the red pepper for gardening. Once they dry completely, I'll transfer them to a ziploc plastic bag for safe keeping.