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Ace's Great Spaghetti Sauce Recipe

I love spaghetti and Ace Candoli's spaghetti sauce is the best I’ve ever had.  I still remember how wonderful it tasted when he made this for my family when I was a little kid, many years ago. 

In 1995, I visited Ace and his wife Joan in Austin, Texas, and he made it for me again.  Although it had been 20 years since I'd eaten his spaghetti, all the memories came flooding back with my first taste of that special sauce, and it tasted exactly as I remembered.  Although I'd eaten a lot of spaghetti in a lot of restaurants during the previous two decades, in all that time, I hadn't tasted anything that came close to his delicious sauce.

Don’t tell Ace, but his spaghetti sauce is one reason I stopped in Austin to visit him and Joan in 2001 and, thankfully, he made a huge batch of it the first night I was there.  Needless to say, when I left a few days later, the spaghetti was long gone.

During my visit, Ace was kind enough to give me his recipe.  It takes a while to make, but it’s well worth it.  Yes, there isn't much garlic in it, but Ace is Italian and he says that authentic Italian spaghetti sauce uses little or no garlic.  Take it from me, he knows his stuff, so put away those jars of Prego and Ragu and enjoy what real spaghetti sauce is supposed to taste like.

- Del

Ace says:   This will feed approximately four people when used with about ½ pound of cooked pasta (we prefer angel hair rather than spaghetti).   Ingredients: 2 teaspoons of olive oil 1 garlic clove, finely chopped 1 medium onion, finely chopped 1 medium carrot, finely chopped 3 celery stalks, finely chopped 1 pound of ground beef (10% or less fat content) (Can substitute ground turkey or ground chicken) 1 6-ounce can of tomato paste 1 can of mushrooms (stems and pieces) Salt and pepper to taste   In a large pot, add two teaspoons of olive oil and brown the garlic, onion, carrots, and celery.  After vegetables are simmered until transparent (about an hour), add the meat and cook it until brown (about an hour).   Add the tomato paste and the mushrooms, along with 18-24 oz (3-4 cans) of water and simmer for about four hours.  If the water boils away, just add more.  Stir every 20-25 minutes to prevent sticking.  Serve with pasta and enjoy!   Above:  The master Italian chef, Ace Candoli, dishing up some of his great spaghetti during my visit.