Italian Meat Sauce With Half the Meat

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 yellow or red onion, finely chopped
• 2 plump garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 pound ground beef or veal
• Pinch of ground cinnamon
• Salt to taste
• freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1/4 pound (about 2/3 cups) roasted mushroom mix
• 1 28-ounce can plus 1 14.5-ounce can chopped tomatoes in juice, pulsed in a food processor
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1. In a large, deep skillet or casserole heat olive oil over medium heat and add onion.
2. Cook, stirring often, until tender, about 5 minutes, and add garlic.
3. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds, and turn heat up to medium-high.
4. Add ground beef or veal and brown for about 5 minutes, stirring.
5. Add cinnamon and season to taste with salt and pepper.
6. Stir in roasted mushroom mix, tomatoes, sugar, oregano and thyme.
7. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a rapid bubble over medium-high heat.
8. Turn heat down to medium, cover partially if sauce is spluttering too much, and simmer, stirring often, until thick and fragrant, 15 to 20 minutes.
9. Taste and adjust seasonings.
10. Serve with pasta, figuring on 1/3 cup per 3-ounce serving.

extra virgin olive oil, red onion, garlic, ground beef, ground cinnamon, salt, freshly ground black pepper, mushroom mix, tomatoes, sugar, oregano, thyme

Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017261 (may not work)