Mother Hubbard's Spaghetti Sauce

Even though it's September 1st, I'm at the end of my grocery month. The cupboards are getting bare, the refrigerator is hollowing out, and even the freezer is mostly occupied by...cold air. We are going grocery shopping tomorrow- yay! So tonight's dinner was a bit of an experiment and a last hurrah. I knew I wanted to make spaghetti (a good, last minute, throw together meal), but I didn't have any spaghetti sauce...at least not pre-made, in a jar. So, I made my own. I have made my own spaghetti sauce many times in a pinch, but it comes out different every time I think- usually because I hadn't planned on it and I use what I have on hand. What did I have on hand today? 1 can of diced tomatoes, 1 can of tomato paste, onions, 3 tiny cloves of garlic and the usual herbs. So, I put it all together while trying to decide what kind of meat to add. I have some frozen chicken breasts, but we've eaten a lot of chicken lately. I have 1 lb of hamburger left, but I want to save it for chili for our potluck on Sunday. I had almost decided to defrost the hamburger anyway when I had a flash of inspiration- the 2 sweet Italian turkey sausages leftover from a BBQ in the freezer! Perfect. After defrosting, I split the casings open and sauteed the meat inside with onions and the little bit of garlic I had. After mixing the meat with the sauce, I put it in the crock pot to simmer for a few hours (and of course, infuse the house with an amazing smell!). Ladled atop whole wheat spaghetti (and a bit of penne mixed in to make it stretch, haha), and served alongside garlic bread and salad it made a delicious and hearty meal!

I have to say, I think this is the best sauce yet. Thankfully, I took down my measurements just in case it came out well.  The "recipe" is as follows- tweak it how you like!

Mother Hubbard's Spaghetti Sauce
(printable recipe)

a KitchenJoy original recipe
makes 4-6 servings

1 can petite diced tomatoes

1 can tomato paste

1/2 cup water

1/2 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp basil

1/4 cup finely diced onion

2 garlic cloves + 1/4 tsp garlic powder (use all fresh garlic if you have enough)

2 sweet Italian turkey sausages, casings removed (substitute other meat if desired)

Mix tomatoes, paste, water and herbs. Set aside.

Saute onions, garlic and sausage until meat is browned and onions are transparent.

Stir meat into tomato mixture. Simmer on stove-top for at least 15 minutes or simmer in crock-pot on low for about 4 hours.

Serve atop spaghetti or other pasta.