2 lb. hot or mild Italian sausage
2-3 lb. lean ground beef
1 lg. chopped onion
2 cloves garlic or substitute
1/2 c. red table wine
1 med. chopped bell pepper
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. sugar
Salt & pepper to taste
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning or to taste
3 (12 oz.) cans tomato paste
3 (15 oz.) cans tomato sauce
2 (14 1/2 oz.) cans stewed tomatoes
Fresh or prepared mushrooms

In a rather large pot brown Italian sausage. Remove from pot. Place ground beef, onion, garlic, salt, pepper, chopped pepper in pot and brown. Return sausage to pot and add all other remaining ingredients. Stir and bring to boil. Simmer 6-8 hours, stirring often. If sauce is too thick for taste add wine or water.

This sauce taste even better made one day ahead. If greasy skim off top. The longer cooked the better and it may be halved for smaller families. Serve over your favorite cooked pasta.

Hot sausage makes a spicier sauce, or you may wish to have half & half.