Meat & Veggie Spaghetti Sauce

You can use this recipe for any Italian dish... very easy, very yummy!

Meat & Veggie Spaghetti Sauce (can be used for lasagna or any Italian Dish)

1 lb ground turkey or beef

1 large can crushed tomatoes

1 large can diced tomatoes

1 medium onion, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped (optional)

1/2 cup chopped mushrooms (I love to use portabella)

--you can add chopped zucchini or celery and it tastes good too... just make sure they cook well enough to soften them

1 Tb Olive Oil

1 tsp Lemon Juice

Seasonings:

1 Tb Oregano

1 Tb Basil

1 Tb Marjoram

1 tsp garlic powder or 1 clove of garlic

(If you want the meat to taste more sausage like - add 1 tsp fennel seed, but only on the meat)

1/2 tsp salt, to taste

1/2 tsp pepper, to taste

     1. You'll add seasonings twice... once on the meat and once in the sauce

     2. Brown Meat... near the end, add onion, pepper, mushrooms, other veggies and first round of seasonings. Cook until veggies are slightly tender

     3. Add canned tomatoes and second round of seasonings. Simmer 20 minutes or more

     4. Serve over pasta (my favorite brand is Tinkyada Brown Rice Pasta)

Variations:

~you can add the pasta shortly after adding the tomatoes, and cook the pasta in the tomato sauce rather than in a separate pot on the stove. Add just a little extra water (maybe 1/4 cup).

~Try different kinds of pasta... spaghetti, shells, elbow noodles, penne, lasagna, whatever you'd like!

~Add your favorite cheese on top (sharp cheddar, mozzarella, monterey jack, ricotta, parmesan, etc.)

~If you want to bake it, after browning the meat and cooking the veggies, mix together with tomatoes, second round of seasonings, cheese, and pasta OR layer in a casserole dish for lasagna (place uncooked pasta near the tomatoes... tomatoes, pasta, tomatoes, meat, cheese, pasta, tomatoes, meat, cheese, etc.). Place in 350˚ oven for about 45 minutes or until the sauce is a little bubbly and the pasta is cooked.