Good ol' family spaghetti sauce recipe:I have lots of fancier recipes but this one remains a firm favorite with everyone

Its simple, tasty and versatile.
Ingredients:- Generous tablespoon of butter.
- Pinch of salt.
- Dash of olive oil.
- Two 400gram tins of tomato soup- make sure it is a good brand, if you can turn it upside down and nothing comes out it is perfect, if it comes out after you dig it with a spoon, still shaped like the can, even better.
- 750grams of a good quality beef mince, chicken also works well.
- 500gram pack of spaghetti, my family prefers spiral or shell shaped pasta to the regular long noodles. (see variations first)
- 1 large onion or two small onions.
- 6 rashers of bacon, or 10 rashers of shortcut bacon. (Don't use the pre-chopped pizza topping stuff it just doesn't taste the same)
- A clove of garlic, finely chopped or a teaspoon of minced garlic.
- Parmesan cheese.
Method:- Put large pot of water on the boil for the pasta, add a dash of olive oil and a little salt if desired.
- Dice the onion into small pieces (but not too small) and saute gently in some butter in a
large frying pan. Check and stir regularly.
- While the onion is cooking dice up the bacon into pieces. Once onion is soft add the bacon and continue to cook until the bacon is heated through and the onion has just a little color. Turn up the heat.
- The water should be boiling by now so add the pasta, stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
- Add mince breaking it up as you add it. Fry until mince is thoroughly cooked.
- Reduce the heat right down to a simmer. Add both tins of tomato soup and garlic and heat through gently, make sure everything is well mixed.
You can at this stage add the sauce mix to a blender and blend it until fairly smooth, but my family prefers it chunky.
Drain pasta well, serve onto plates and pour sauce on top.
ORMix sauce and pasta in a large pot and serve. (Better for children and my family prefers it that way too.)
Top generously with cheese.
Variations:- Add diced pepperoni with the tomato soup for discerning dinosaur palates.
- Add a good sized minced chili with seeds with the onion to torture non spice lovers.
- Layer sauce in a baking tray with a good cheese bechamal sauce (500g creamy cheddar, 1 liter of milk and a little flour to thicken, cooked for ten minutes) and sheets of lasagna pasta, top with a layer of bechamal sauce, tasty cheese and a sprinkle of Parmesan. (I do meat sauce, cheese sauce, pasta, meat, cheese sauce, pasta, meat, cheese sauce, pasta, meat, cheese sauce, pasta, (no meat) cheese sauce, tasty, Parmesan.) Cook in oven on 180 Celsius for one hour.
- Add a handful of chopped parsley, a little oregano or other favorite herb with the tomato soup. (My family likes parsley)
- Add two cups of your favorite veges, cooked and drained with the soup. (Cauliflower works well, dice quite small though)
- Use only one tin of soup and a couple of good sized tomatoes, finely chopping and adding the tomatoes with the bacon.
- Pour sauce over baked potatoes and top with cheese then grill until cheese is gooey and just a little golden.
Photos:My Pleo as a tomato entry
