Mama Sarah's Spaghetti

Mmm spaghetti.. Who doesn't love it? Growing up, we never had spaghetti sauce from a jar; it wasn't even a consideration. If I hadn't seen commercials for Ragu, I might not have even been aware there was such a thing as store bought spaghetti sauce. My mom's spaghetti sauce was also so wonderful; complex, with both a spicy kick and mellow sweetness. As I began to cook more and more, I started to tweak the recipe. I LOVE basil and have a spice-sensitive palate, so you can imagine the direction I took. So, tonight we have:

Not Quite Mama's, Not Quite Mama Sarah's Spaghetti Sauce
1 lb ground beef 93% lean. You can also use turkey. Or pork. .. 1 lb ground meat
1 can tomato sauce
1 can tomato paste
1 can stewed tomatoes OR a few coarsely chopped fresh tomatoes
1 medium onion, chopped; I like big onion chunks
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp sugar
2-3 tbsp dried basil or a handful of fresh basil, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
*Mom adds a tsp of chili powder and uses rotel instead of stewed potatoes. She only uses 1 tsp each of basil and sugar.

Brown your ground meat in a pot. Add onions and garlic and cook for a moment or two.
Add tomato sauce, paste, and stewed tomatoes. Add all the seasonings. Bring to a boil.
You can eat the sauce immediately, but it's much better if it simmers for awhile. If you simmer it, make sure to cover it. Sometimes, I'd set the sauce to simmer around 4:30 or 5 to eat at 6-7. Sneak frequent tastes if you simmer it for awhile.... just to make sure the flavor is right .. yeah ..

Honestly, I'll eat this sauce plain; noodles are not necessary.