Italian Pasta Sauce

When my daughter Kris got married, her new husband made something special for their wedding buffet—a big batch of this thick flavorful pasta sauce. His grandmother brought the recipe from Italy 80 years ago. —Judy Braun, Juneau, WI Prep: 15 min. • Cook: 21/2 hours Makes: 20 servings 4 lbs. ground beef 1 lb. bulk Italian sausage 1 large onion, finely chopped 3 celery ribs, finely chopped 4 garlic cloves, minced

2 Tbsp. olive oil 3 cans (28 oz. each) crushed tomatoes in puree 3 cans (6 oz. each) tomato paste 3 cups chicken or beef broth 1 lb. fresh mushrooms, sliced 3/4 cup minced fresh parsley 1 Tbsp. sugar 2 to 3 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. pepper 1/2 tsp. ground allspice, optional Hot cooked pasta

1. In a Dutch oven or soup kettle, cook beef in two batches over medium heat until no longer pink; drain and set aside. Cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain and set aside. In the same pan, saute onion, celery and garlic in oil until vegetables are tender.

2. Return beef and sausage to the pan. Stir in next nine ingredients, including allspice if desired, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat; cover and simmer until sauce reaches desired thickness, 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally. Serve over pasta.

1 cup sauce: 284 cal., 15g fat (5g sat. fat), 57mg chol., 821mg sod., 16g carb. (9g sugars, 3g fiber), 23g pro.

Test Kitchen tip: This thick, hearty meat sauce pairs perfectly with tube-shaped pastas like penne, rigatoni or ziti.