1/2 pound mild Italian sausage 1/2 pound lean ground beef 1 large onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 4 (8-ounce) cans tomato sauce 1 (6-ounce) can Italian-style tomato paste 3 cups water 1/4 cup sugar 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon dried parsley 1 teaspoon dried basil 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms (I substitute green peppers) Hot cooked linguine Shredded Parmesan cheese (I like the Italian five cheese blend)
Combine sauce and next 7 ingredients in skillet or Dutch oven; cook, stirring occasionally, 1 hour. Add sausage mixture and mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally, 1 hour and 30 minutes or until mixture thickens.