The kids looking for old favorites

So I just had a call from my middle child. Grego likes to cook and always has but tonight he had a hankering (he lives in Mississippi) for some meat sauce. I am not Italian and my mother who is an excellent cook... well i didnt love the meat sauce and it never stuck to the noodles. Now of course i know why. Back in the day everyone would either use oil in the pasta water and or rinse it when it was done cooking. Well either way you make the noodles slippery and sauce just dont stick. So just salt the water so it tastes like the sea and use a big pot so the pasta can move. Cook it al dente so the heat will give it some carry over cooking and dont rinse the starch off. The starch helps the sauce stick and today there are the rigate noodles (with ridges) and that really helps the sauce stick. The joke of my meat sauce is it came from my kids elementary school cookbook and it is very basic. I guess chefs would say it only has one note. But i knew the kids were not eating bolognese with carrots and celery. As it was they picked out the onion (should have grated it) and any pieces of tomato that they could see.

This simple school recipe with a few additions has served me well. These days they are grown and sometimes i add red wine and what not but the basic recipe is cheap and easy and the kids still ask for it.

3-6 Tbsp of olive oil (a few turns around the pan)
6 garlic cloves chopped (you can grate them if you want to hide it)
1 large onion chopped
1 28 oz can of diced tomatoes
1 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
1 1/2 T of tomato paste
1 Tbsp dried oregano
1 Tbsp dried basil
1 1/2 tsp of sugar( sometimes i use it sometimes not)
salt and pepper

crushed red peppers optional

In a large saucepan/skillet, heat olive oil add garlic and onions and stir about 5 minutes do not let the garlic burn (if you have problems with this add the meat first and break it up and then add the garlic and onions. Season the meat with some salt and pepper about a tsp and 1/2 tsp of pepper. You can also add the red pepper flakes to the oil before the meat if you want the heat or dont and pass them with parmesean cheese when serving. Saute beef until the beef is no longer pink about 10-15 minutes. Add the tomatoes and the tomato paste. stirring to scrape any bits from the bottom. Add the seasoning and bring to boil and then lower to simmer. Adjust the seasoning and cook at least 20 minutes until thick. If too thick add some red wine or pasta water from cooked pasta. Freeze well.

Serve with spaghetti or penne or rigatoni and parmesean cheese.