Spaghetti Sauce - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1/2 lb. bacon, chopped
2 1/2 lb. ground beef
2 c. finely chopped onion
1 c. finely chopped green pepper
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 (2 lb.) cans Italian plum tomatoes
3 (6 oz.) cans tomato paste
1 1/2 c. dry red wine
5 tsp. oregano
5 tsp. basil
1 1/2 c. water
1/2 c. chopped parsley
2 tsp. thyme
1 bay leaf, crumbled
2 Tbsp. salt
freshly ground pepper

Preparation

Fry bacon until crisp in a wide 6-quart saucepot.
Remove bacon and all but 2 tablespoons of fat.
Save both bacon and extra fat.
Add ground beef, breaking it up with a spoon and cook until brown, stirring occasionally.
Stir in onion, green pepper and garlic and cook for 10 minutes.
Add more bacon fat if needed. Mash plum tomatoes with a spoon.
Stir the tomatoes and tomato paste, bacon, 1 cup of wine and 4 teaspoons each of oregano and basil; add all remaining ingredients into the sauce.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 3 hours, stirring occasionally.
Taste after an hour of cooking and correct seasoning; herbs vary and so do personal notions of flavor.
If you make the sauce early, cool and refrigerate it until an hour or two before dinner.
Let it warm to room temperature before you reheat it.
Ten or 15 minutes before serving, blend in 1 teaspoon each of oregano and basil and 1/2 cup of wine.
Any leftover can be frozen for later use.