Today's Lunch

Meat Sauce:

2 lb of ground chuck
1 large onion
2 cans of stewed tomatoes (San Marzano preferred)
2 table spoons of tomatoe paste (tube or can)
1 med bell pepper - red or green chopped
15 oz of fresh sliced mushrooms (button or baby bella)
5 cloves of fresh garlic
1/4 cup chopped parsley (flat leaf Italian my fave)
2 tablespoons chopped basil (added towards the end of cooking)
Salt & Pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Sauté ground chuck with some salt & black pepper, drain when meat is no longer pink and set aside. In the same pan sauté onions & garlic till translucent, add bell peppers and mushrooms. Sauté all veggies for 5-8 minutes, then add back the meat and then add stewed tomatoes, red pepper flakes and tomatoes paste as well as parsley. Add basil nearly at the end of cooking which should be 20 minutes in from adding all the ingredients. The intention is to have a fresh sauce, not a slow cooked one that gets dark and deep. Serve over your favorite pasta. The sauce can be frozen for up to 6 months in an air tight container in the freezer. Enjoy!