Homemade Pasta Sauce w/ Beef & Basil

This sauce is quite easy to make. Two secrets for amazing flavor - dried rosemary in the sauce, and sweet basil & garlic in the pasta water. I make this sauce, then use it all for of my baked pasta dishes. The flavor of homemade sauce vs. store-bought is apparent, and well worth the small effort!

Homemade Pasta Sauce w/ Beef & Basil:

2 tbs. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
4-8 large sweet basil leaves, roughly chopped
1 small Vidalia onion, diced
1 small green pepper, diced
1 can tomato sauce
1 can crushed tomatoes with sweet onion & garlic, with juice
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp italian seasoning
1 lb. lean ground beef
salt & pepper, to taste

16 oz. pasta of choice (I like using tri-color rotini - the pasta shape holds the sauce well; OR, use low carb pasta. If using low-carb pasta, take care not to overcook.)

1. In a large saute' pan, add oil & turn heat to med-high. Let oil get hot, but not smoking, about 3 minutes. Turn heat down to medium.

2. Add onions & green peppers to pan. Sprinkle with salt & pepper. Saute' 2 minutes.

3. Add garlic & rosemary to pan. Stir well. Saute about 5-6 minutes more, until onions are tender. Garlic will roast & turn brown.

4. Add ground beef to mixture. Season with salt & pepper. Allow beef to brown, keeping an eye on the pan, and stirring well to incorporate flavors of aromatics & green pepper. Drain mixture. Do not rinse. Return to saute' pan.

5. Turn heat down to med-low. Pour in both cans of tomatoes. Let come to low boil. Add italian seasoning. Let simmer for 20 minutes, uncovered. Add basil leaves.

6. At this point, the sauce is finished, or you may let it cook up to an additional 2 hours. I let mine simmer on low for as long as my time allows - an hour seems perfect.

7. Cook pasta, al dente (7 minutes is plenty for low-carb pasta). I cook pasta in salted water, with a tsp. of fresh chopped garlic, a little olive oil & 4 whole sweet basil leaves. Drizzle olive oil over pasta in colander. When you are draining the pasta, stir it around in the colander with a heavy-duty plastic spoon, and the wilted basil leaves will stick to the oily spoon. You may discard, or leave them in. Traditional Italian pasta is tossed in sauce before serving, with a drizzle of olive oil. Serve with salad & fresh bread. Enjoy!