Lita's Famous Spaghetti Sauce

Level of Difficulty: easy!
Pots/Pans Used: one

1 large can tomato puree
1 large can whole tomatoes, chopped
1/2 to 1 can full of water (use the empty tomato puree can. Whether you use 1/2 to whole can depends on the texture you want your sauce to be)
6 oz can tomato paste
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 small green pepper, chopped
olive oil
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp rosemary
1/2 tsp basil
1 tsp parsley
1 tsp sugar
salt & pepper to taste

My grandmother, aka "Lita", gave me official permission to share her famous spaghetti sauce with all of you. This has been a coveted McKeon family recipe for a while now. Lita also shared with me the story of where it came from... Apparently, when she married my grandfather she was primarily a baker with absolutely no cooking experience. This is pretty mindboggling because she has turned out to be a pretty fantastic chef. Anyways, her and my grandfather were friends with an Italian couple. When Lita expressed a need to learn some simple recipes, the wife of the couple came over and showed her how to make this authentic Italian spaghetti sauce. The cinnamon in the sauce really makes it unique and brings out some flavor pizazz. You could use it for lasagna, eggplant parm, anything.



Saute vegetables with some olive oil in a large stock pot. Add all the ingredients. Heat well for a few minutes without bringing to a boil. Reduce heat and cook on low simmer for three hours. Add water if needed to thin. If you want, you can double the recipe. My family usually makes a big batch and freezes the extra sauce. From my family to yours... enjoy!