Ragu

I got this recipe back when we were living the student life. Some friends of ours invited us over for dinner and served this amazing pasta! I fell in love with it and my friend Terra was nice enough to share the recipe. She is a fabulous cook and a dear friend. I think of her everytime I make this dish... which is often!

Ingredients:

3 mild Italian sausage links (push out of skins into small chunks)

3 chopped pieces bacon

2 finely chopped carrots

1 finely chopped celery stick

1 small finely chopped onion

2 crushed cloves of garlic

1 14 oz can diced tomatoes

1 small can tomato sauce

1 dried bay leaf

salt

pepper

oregano

parsley

1 lb spaghetti noodles

In a large frying pan cook sausage, bacon, chopped carrots, celery, onion, and garlic over medium high heat until sausage is no longer pink (I like to do the sausage and bacon alone for a few minutes before adding the vegetables).

Stir in diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and bay leaf. Add salt, pepper, and seasonings to taste.

Cover and cook on low heat, stirring occasionally, for 2-5 hours (I have left it uncovered for about an hour and it has turned out just fine).

Remove bay leaf before serving.

Toss with cooked spaghetti noodles and top with plenty of real shredded parmesan cheese. I think my friend Terra always grated her own-- she always seemed to have a block of Parmesan cheese in her fridge.  I used to do that too, but lately I just keep a Costco bag of shredded Parmesan in the freezer and use that!