Best Meat Sauce for Spaghetti

1/2 pound sweet or hot Italian sausage
1 1/2 pounds ground chuck
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup chopped green pepper
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon salt
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 teaspoons dried basil leaves
1 (2 pound 3 ounce) can Italian-style tomatoes, undrained
2 (8 ounce) cans tomato sauce
1 (16 ounce) package spaghetti
1 tablespoon salt
Grated Parmesan cheese

Remove sausage meat from outer casings; chop sausage. In a 5-quart Dutch oven, over medium heat, saut� ground chuck (break into chunks with wooden spoon), sausage meat, onion, green pepper and garlic, stirring frequently, until meat is browned and vegetables are tender — about 20 minutes.

Add sugar, 1 tablespoon salt, crushed red pepper and basil; mix well. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce and 1 cup water; mash tomatoes with wooden spoon. Bring to boiling; reduce heat; simmer, covered and stirring occasionally, until thickened, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

To serve, cook spaghetti as package label directs, adding 1 tablespoon salt to boiling water. Drain well.

Serve spaghetti with sauce, sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.

Makes 8 servings.