4 Tbs. Olive oil
1 1/2 lbs. Ground beef, extra lean
1/2 lb. Italian sausage, casings removed
1 Tbs. Fennel seeds
1/2 tps. Cayenne pepper
1 Bay leaf
1 Tbs. Fresh parsley, chopped or 1 Tbs. dried
3 Tbs. Fresh basil, chopped or 1 Tbs. dried
3 Tbs. Fresh oregano, chopped or 1 Tbs. dried
1tsp. Dried thyme
1tsp Dried rosemary (ground if whole)
8oz. sliced black olives
2 diced carrots
1 Large onion, chopped
1 Green bell pepper, chopped
3 Stalks of celery, chopped
½ lb. Fresh mushrooms, sliced
4 Cloves of garlic, chopped or minced
2 14 oz. cans Italian plum tomatoes with juices, coarsely chopped
1 14 oz. can tomato sauce
1 6 oz. tomato paste
½ cup Dry red wine
As Req'd Low salt chicken broth
In a heavy skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat, add beef, sausage, Oregano, Basil, Parsley, pepper and Fennel seeds, sauté until meat is brown and cooked thoroughly. Transfer meat mixture from skillet to six quart Dutch oven. Add chopped vegetables to same skillet and sauté until tender. Combine tomato products, vegetables and wine in Dutch oven with meat mixture and simmer for two hours. If additional liquid is required, add chicken broth to obtain optimum consistency. Serve over pasta that is cooked until it is still slightly firm to the bite and top with cheese of choice.
Note: use the best canned tomato products that you can find, don't go cheap. Also small dice vegatables, helps flavor