Very Special Spaghetti Sauce

20 servings
time to make 2½ hours 30 min prep

3 (12 ounce) cans tomato paste
12 (12 ounce) cans water
2 onions, diced finely
3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons italian seasoning (or a mix of thyme, basil, oregano and sage)
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons sugar
fresh coarse ground black pepper, to taste
1 1/2 lbs ground beef (or 1 lb ground beef and 1/2 lb ground pork)

1. Combine tomato paste and water in a large pot, stir over medium high heat until tomato paste is dissolved (about 2-3 minutes).

2. Saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil in a separate skillet over medium high heat(can also add green bell pepper and mushrooms, if desired). Saute until onion is translucent and dump into the pot.

3. Add the Italian seasoning, cayenne, salt, sugar and pepper. Reduce heat and let simmer 2 hours, stirring every 15 minutes (but you can never stir it too much).

4. Brown the ground beef in a skillet, then add to the pot. Simmer another hour.

Note:
You can add a little extra olive oil when it is cooking. Also, taste it often and adjust seasonings. If it gets too thick, add more water. If it is too thin, add more tomato paste.