Sam's Spaghetti Sauce

Kris is a big spaghetti lover, so it was one of our go-to meals when we first started going meatless. Both of us felt like the sauce was kind of flat though, missing the added richness and complexity a good sausage can give.  So I started looking around for additional seasonings to round things out.  We love the end product from the following recipe. (Also, don't get too married to these "measurements" on the seasonings...they are my best approximation of the shaking from the jars that I really do.)

1/2 onion, diced
1 large or 2 med. cloves garlic, minced or grated
1 T. olive oil
1 tsp. fennel seed
1 pinch red pepper flakes
1 (14.5 oz.) can of diced tomatoes (undrained)
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste
1-1/2 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried parsley
1/4 tsp. dried rosemary
1/8 tsp. smoked paprika
1/2 tsp. sugar (optional, but it really balances the flavors)
2 T. Marsala cooking wine (located in the vinegar section of your supermarket)
Salt and pepper to taste

1) Saute the onions for about five minutes on medium heat until they are softened.  Add the garlic, fennel seed, and red pepper flakes; cook for one minute more.

2) Mix in the tomato products and stir until the mixture is homogeneous.

3) Add the remaining ingredients.  Simmer for a few minutes (10ish) while the flavors blend.

This is my basic sauce.  Sometimes I add mushrooms or bell peppers or any other veggies I'm in the mood for.  The fennel and smoked paprika lend some of the sausage flavor you might otherwise miss and the cooking wine gives it the true Italian edge (in addition to reminding me of my perpetually boozy and now deceased grandfather), though it can certainly be omitted.