My Favorite Comfort Food: Spaghetti

Yesterday I talked about soup and sandwiches, today it's my very favorite comfort food - spaghetti. When I was pregnant with my son, I ate this everyday for a month (I was craving tomatoes and this was a way to get my fix). I love this dish because it is easy to make, can be dressed up or down, is relatively inexpensive to make, and can feed a family with leftovers!

Spaghetti Sauce:
1 lb ground beef
1 large can crushed tomatoes
1 medium can diced tomatoes
1 small can tomato paste
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 small onion, peeled and chopped
1 tablespoon Italian Seasoning
1/2 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 tablespoon sugar
salt & pepper

• In a medium-large pot, brown ground beef and onion; add salt & pepper to taste. Drain all the fat when done cooking.
• Add the meat and onions back to the pot and add all ingredients. Simmer for at least 1 hour (the longer the better).
• Serve with cooked spaghetti noodles and top with Parmesan cheese.

You can add all sorts of things to this basic recipe - sub in sausage for beef, add mushrooms, carrots, or peppers to the sauce.