Step 1

Heat olive oil in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat.

Step 2

Add onions and cook until tender and then add garlic and cook until fragrant.

Step 3

Add ground beef, chopping the beef with a rubber spatula or a ground meat chopper to spread it out in the skillet. Season beef. (see note)

Step 4

Cook until beef is done and then drain off the fat.

Step 5

To the skillet, add diced tomatoes and tomato sauce. (You can chop up the tomatoes if you prefer them smaller)

Step 6

Combined all the spices (except for fresh basil and fresh parsley ) and stir them into the sauce. (See NOTE)

Step 7

Add the bay leaf.

Step 8

Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer.

Step 9

Cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes. If you want to simmer longer or want to thin out the sauce, add a bit of water or chicken broth (Now's a good time to make your pasta)

Step 10

Stir in the fresh basil and parsley and simmer for about 5 minutes.

Step 11

Taste the sauce and adjust the seasonings (go easy on the salt if you plan on serving with parmesan cheese). The sauce will taste even bolder the next day.

Step 12

Serve sauce on top of pasta.