1 lb. Italian sausage, hot or sweet
1/4 c. hot water
1/2 lb. fresh mushroom, sliced
1/2 c. shredded carrot
1 med. onion, sliced
1/2 c. chopped celery
1/4 c. minced parsley
1 (1 lb. 12 oz.) can Italian style plum tomatoes
6 oz. tomato paste
1 c. dry red wine
1 bay leaf
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. dried basil
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Prick Italian sausage casing and place in a cold skillet. Pour hot water over them; cover and cook for 10 minutes.

Remove sausages with slotted spoon and cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks. Pour sausage drippings into a large Dutch oven and saute mushrooms, carrots, onion, celery, and parsley until just tender, but still crisp. Drain off any excess fat and return sausage to pot. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, wine, bay leaf, salt, basil, and pepper. Cover and simmer 1 1/2 hours or until thickened, stirring occasionally. Taste to correct seasonings. Yields 1 1/2 quarts sauce.