1 lb. lean ground beef
1/2 c. chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (28 oz.) tomatoes (cut into sm. pieces)
2 cans (6 oz. each) tomato paste
1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. basil
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. thyme

Crumble beef into 3 quart microwave casserole dish. Add the onion and garlic. Cook on high (maximum power) for about 5 minutes, or until beef has been browned. Stir the beef to break up the meat. Drain well. Wipe out the casserole dish, and combine the remaining ingredients with the meat mixture. Return to the casserole dish. Be sure to cut the tomatoes into small pieces.

Cook, covered on stove, for 25-30 minutes on simmer, or until slightly thickened. Let stand about 5 minutes. Serve over cooked spaghetti, or mix with mozzarella cheese and cooked ziti noodles. Makes approximately 1 1/2 quarts of sauce and will serve 10.