I will share here what I keep a closely guarded secret in the outside world: my incredible homemade ragù is just an unfinished lasagna recipe. Originally found here: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/23600/worlds-best-lasagna/ I basically stop after step 1 and use it on penne or can it for later. Recipe reproduced here: 1 pound sweet Italian sausage 3/4 pound lean ground beef 1/2 cup minced onion 2 cloves garlic, crushed 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes 2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste 2 (6.5 ounce) cans canned tomato sauce 1/2 cup water 2 tablespoons white sugar 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil leaves 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning 1 tablespoon salt 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley In a Dutch oven, cook sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until well browned. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water. Season with sugar, basil, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, 1 tablespoon salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons parsley. Simmer, covered, for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
Cool recipe, i am going to try it out. One traditional alternative that my father-in-law (an Italian chef) recommends is mincing carrots and celery and sweating them with the onions and garlic. It will naturally sweeten the sauce without adding sugar.