My daughters have always pleaded with my to write this sauce recipe down. So here it is, Dad's Spaghetti Sauce. (Just like his mama's!)

3 tbsp. olive oil
6 cloves of garlic, sliced NOT chopped
1/2 c. yellow-Spanish onion, chopped
3 sprigs of parsley, chopped
3 tbsp. sun dried tomatoes
5 fresh basil leaves
2 dashes of oregano
3 tbsp. grated cheese
2 cans (24 oz.) chopped tomatoes
1 can (12 oz.) tomato sauce
1 can (6 oz.) tomato paste
1 can (6 oz.) red wine
Fresh ground pepper to taste, no salt, no sugar!

In a 4 quart saucepan, heat olive oil and gently saute the garlic, onion, parsley and dried tomatoes. Before the garlic and onion turn brown, add the can of tomato paste, simmer for 3 minutes, fill the tomato paste can with any red wine and pour into the pan - simmer for 3 more minutes.

Add the 2 cans of chopped tomatoes and the tomato sauce. Tear the basil leaves into small pieces and add the basil, oregano and cheese to the mixture, stir and place on the back burner at a very low heat and forget for 2 hours.

ALTERNATIVES:

SPICY - at the sauté part, 3 dashes of crushed red pepper or 2 fresh hot peppers, chopped.

SEAFOOD - at the sauté part add 3 chopped anchovies, 8 to 10 capers and 4 tablespoons of sliced black olives. Half an hour before serving, add shell fish or meaty fish of your choice.

VEGIE - at sauté part add diced carrot, mushroom, zucchini or any vegie that's your favorite.

MEAT - at sauté part brown any meat of your choice, i.e; sausage, meatballs, beef, pork, chicken. Remove and drain off fat, add meat back to sauce 1/2 hour before serving.

It may not be fast, it does store or freeze well and nothing in a jar compares. Great with any pasta.