Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

My entry for Festa Italiana! Thanks to Maryann from Finding La Dolce Vita and Marie from Proud Italian Cook for hosting this roundup!

This is a family favorite at our house! My kids love spaghetti, any pasta really. When I discovered this sauce, I knew I would never use sauce from a jar again!
Hope you enjoy! **It makes quite a bit. I usually freeze the left over sauce for another use**

Homemade Spaghetti Sauce
Tasteofhome.com
12 servings


4 celery ribs, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 large green pepper, chopped
2-1/2 cups water, divided
3 Italian turkey sausage links (4 ounces each), casings removed
1 can (29 ounces) tomato sauce
1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
3 cans (6 ounces each) tomato paste
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
5 to 6 garlic cloves, minced
3 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
6 cups hot cooked spaghetti
Shredded Parmesan cheese, optional

In a Dutch oven, combine the celery, onion, green pepper and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; cook, uncovered, for 10-12 minutes or until vegetables are tender and water is reduced.
Crumble sausage over vegetable mixture; cook until meat is no longer pink. Stir in the tomato sauce, tomatoes, tomato paste, parsley, garlic, Italian seasoning, sugar, salt, pepper and remaining water.
Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 45-50 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve over spaghetti. Garnish with Parmesan cheese if desired.