Italian Spaghetti

Ingredients

• 2 pounds ground beef
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped (about ½ cup)
• 1 green pepper, finely chopped
• 2 cans (15 ounces each) tomato sauce
• 2 cans (12 ounces each) tomato paste
• 1 can (7½ ounces) pitted ripe olives, drained and sliced
• 2 envelopes (1½ ounces each) Italian-style spaghetti sauce mix with mushrooms
• 3 cups water
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon oregano leaves
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 bay leaf, crumbled
• 16 ounces Italian-syle spaghetti

Directions

1. Cook and stir ground beef, onion and green pepper until meat is brown and onion is tender.
2. Stir in remaining ingredients except spaghetti and cheese.
3. Cover; simmer 1½ hours, stirring sauce occasionally.
4. Cook spaghetti.
5. Serve meat sauce over hot spaghetti.

Variation

• Spaghetti with Meatballs: Omit ground beef; stirring occasionally, cook remaining ingredients except spaghetti and Parmesan cheese for 1 hour. While sauce cooks, prepare Meatballs; add to sauce and cook 30 minutes longer.