Spaghetti sauce - meat or not meat

For those of you that buy spaghetti sauce in jars, please stop! Not only is it full of junk (preservatives and god knows what else), it's just plain gross (in my opinion).

So here is a simple sauce that I make all the time. It makes enough to eat a big dinner, have a lunch and freeze enough for another dinner.

Ingredients to buy at the store
2 28oz cans of tomatoes. My favorites are the Muir Glen fire roasted, or San Marzano's. Plain old regular ones are fine but they won't give you as much flavor.
One medium-large onion (yellow or white)
Garlic (a few cloves)
Tomato paste (not necessary, but I think it helps)
Basil (preferably fresh, but dried is ok)
Salt, Sugar, Pepper, Olive oil (hopefully those are staples)
Red pepper flakes (if you like a bit of spice)
Spaghetti or Angel Hair or whatever noodles you want

Chop the onion. If you are not planning on blending this sauce (I use a stick blender that I adore), then cut the onion into the size pieces you would like to eat. Open the cans of tomatoes and either press or mince the garlic (or buy it pre-chopped like I do). Carefully cut up your basil if it is fresh.

Heat oil in a saute pan. If you don't know that means here is an example. You can probably use a dutch oven (like a Le Creuset) or really any sort of pot will probably do. When the oil is warmed up add the onion pieces. Stir so they don't stick or burn. Then add the garlic. Continue stirring for about 5-7 minutes to get out the flavor (I made that up....hopefully it brings out the flavor, I don't really know).

Then add the tomatoes. Here is where you have a choice. If you have a stick blender you can just dump them all in even if they are whole, because you can blend them later. If you aren't going to blend it, then what I used to do is wash my hands and then pick up each whole tomato and break it into little pieces with my hands. It will squirt, so beware!!! Now squeeze in some tomato paste (or from a jar....I am convinced the ones in the squirt tubes are better, but probably not). I don't measure an amount. If I had to guess I would say maybe 2 or 3 Tablespoons. Then I add a spoonful of white sugar (it helps cut the acid of the tomatoes....ok I made that up too, but it might be true) and a few sprinkles of salt and pepper. If you are doing fresh basil then add as much as you can. I'd say at least one cup chopped and loosely packed. If you are doing dry basil then maybe a teaspoon or so. Other people like oregano, but I do not. You can add it if you like it.

I turn up the heat to bring it to a boil. Once it boils I turn it down to simmer and put the top on tightly for about 30 minutes.

If you would like to add meat, I cook the meat in a fry pan separate from the sauce. When it's cooked through (or like 90% through) I spoon off all of the fat and then I dump it into the sauce AFTER the 30 minutes is up. I also like to add a sprinkle of red pepper flakes to the sauce for a bite.

After 30 minutes I take the top off and then I put on a pot of water to boil. Between the water heating up and the pasta cooking, that's probably about 15 minutes or so of more cooking.
First picture is AFTER blending it, second picture is BEFORE blending.

When all done I like to pour more Kraft Parmesan (I know, gross, but I love it) than humanly possible on top and eat eat eat.