Spaghetti sauce

Homemade spaghetti sauce is a wonderful thing when you have the time.  This particular recipe helps you to have the time by not being too complicated.  The major thing is to make sure you cook it down enough that it's not runny.  You can add oven-baked meatballs in the final stages of simmering, or add ground meat at the same time as the onions and garlic.

Spaghetti Sauce

Olive oil
Small onion, grated
2 cloves of garlic, pressed
1 lb ground beef (optional)
1/4 t cayenne pepper flakes
1/2 t dried oregano
2 c tomato juice
28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
2 T white wine
1/4 c fresh basil leaves, chopped
Salt, pepper, and sugar
Cooked meatballs (optional)
Parmesan cheese, fresh grated
1 lb spaghetti pasta

Heat oil in a large pan.  Cook onion until soft and add garlic, ground beef if using, pepper flakes, and oregano.  Cook till meat is browned.  Add tomato juice through the wine and simmer until thickened, at least 30 minutes.  Add basil, and salt, pepper, and sugar to taste.  Add meatballs if using, and heat them through.  Serve over pasta and top with grated cheese.