One of our old favorites is spaghetti with a hamburger meat sauce. The meat sauce is much better than any that I have tried from the store. I have used this recipe many ways like adding meatballs to the recipe, make the meat sauce without hamburger and just use the meatballs and sauce, meatball sandwiches, chicken Parmesan and other dishes.

The sauce freezes well, so I never worry about having leftover sauce. I use my Foodsaver to freeze the sauce and it has lasted six months in the freezer before we ate it all.

Ingredients

2 pounds ground beef
1 cup onion finely chopped
10 cups tomato sauce
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons spaghetti sauce seasoning
2 tablespoons oregano
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon tarragon
2 teaspoon basil
2 teaspoon garlic powder
Spaghetti pasta (20 ounces)
Grated Parmesan cheese

Procedure

In large skillet, add ground beef and onions. Cook on medium heat until meat is browned and onions are tender.
Add tomato sauce and herbs.
Simmer uncovered 15 to 30 minutes; stirring occasionally.
Serve over hot spaghetti. Top with grated Parmesan cheese

Tips
The spices in the recipe are dried herbs. Place the dried herbs in your hand and crumble the herb gently with your fingers and thumb to get more flavor from the herb.

You can substitute fresh herbs for dried herbs. Use one tablespoon of fresh herbs for one teaspoon of dried herbs. Dried herbs will lose their flavor as they age. If your dried herbs have been in your pantry for quite awhile, you may want to add a little more herbs.  and if they are new herbs you may want to use a little less. Taste the spaghetti sauce to get the right amount for you and your family.

The spaghetti sauce freezes well using a FoodSaver T000-08004 V3460 SmartSeal Vacuum-Sealing Appliance . However, if you freeze the spaghetti with the sauce over the top, add quite a bit more sauce that you think you need because the spaghetti tends to absorb the sauce and it will be dry. I freeze the spaghetti and sauce separately and put it together after it has been defrosted and warmed up. I also use the spaghetti sauce for other dishes.

Tips

How to Cook Spaghetti

Use a large pan to cook any pasta—spaghetti, macaroni, fine noodles, and lasagna.
Use a minimum of 3 quarts of water for 8 ounces of pasta.
Add 1 teaspoon salt for 8 ounces of pasta. (optional)
Add a teaspoon oil to the water when cooking the pasta so it will no boil over.
Have water boiling vigorously when you add the pasta.
When you are using the long spaghetti, take a handful of spaghetti, dip the end into the water and swirl it around and as it softens curl the spaghetti into the pan. Be careful not to burn yourself.
Keep water boiling while the pasta is cooking. Cook uncovered.
You want the pasta tender, but a little chewy. If you overcook the pasta it can get mushy.
Take a fork and place it in the water. Take a piece of the pasta to the side of the pan. If it cuts with a slight resistance, it is done. You can also take a piece of pasta out of the pan, let it cool, and taste it.
Drain at once.