Robust Italian Meat Sauce

• 1 pound sweet Italian sausage links, casings removed
• 1 pound ground beef
• 2-28 ounce cans crushed tomatoes
• 1-15 ounce can diced tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup dried basil
• 1/2 cup red wine, your favorite
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1 handful fresh parsley, chopped
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Begin by heating a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and ground beef to the pan, breaking up any chunks of the ground beef. Season well with salt and pepper, starting with 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Cook until the sausage and beef are well-browned and there are lots of browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Add the chopped garlic and cook for 1 minute.

Add the red wine, stirring to release the browned bits from the pan. You may need to add a little water as well if there still lots of bits on the pan. Add the tomato paste and stir to coat the meat with the tomato paste. Add the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, sugar, Parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes and basil, crushing the basil between the palms of your hands before adding.

Bring the sauce to a boil and reduce the heat to simmer. Simmer on the stove top for two hours, stirring occasionally to be sure the sauce at the bottom of the pan doesn't burn. After two hours, taste for seasoning and adjust as needed. Stir in the chopped parsley just before serving.