Week 3: How do YOU make spaghetti?

I like it with tomato sauce and meat balls! although we normally have a meat sauce

LOL I never measure when I make my sauce, but the ingredients are usually

1 large can of garlic itailian tomato sauce
1 can of dices tomatoes
1 small can of tomato paste (garlic if I have it)
Italian seasoning
chopped onions
pepper
parmasian cheese (fresh if possible)
and garlic.... lots of garlic!
very lean ground beef (I put it in the sauce WITHOUT browning so the leanest is best)

My hubby and I really like garlic!.. LOL

I simmer it about 2 hours, sometimes more. I put the stuff in and taste it to see if it is right..

I only make this on weekends when I am not working. During the week we have sandwhiches and stuff because I don't get off work until 9pm.

I despise spaghetti....Never liked it, never will!!!

Lol I've tried eating it just about every way that is listed on your poll, and it doesn't work. I just hate spaghetti.

Originally Posted by sweetiecat3

I despise

spaghetti....Never liked it, never will!!!

Lol I've tried eating it just about every way that is listed on your poll, and it doesn't work. I just hate spaghetti.

Click to expand...

Oh thank goodness I am not the only one. I was beginning to think that I would be alone in my spaghetti haters support group.

How will you two cope when you go to italy??

Oh Fran - I will jus thave to eat loads of tiramisu

Here's another vegetarian version... dense, sweetish, more oniony than garlicky, and not too chunky...

Vegetarian Sketti

First, swirl about a quarter-cup of olive oil around the bottom and sides of your biggest cooking pot.

Dice up a LOT of good sweet onions (Vidalias or Walla Wallas or Texas 1015s are great), enough to fill the pot to about one-third of the way up. Gently swirl the onions around until they're all lightly coated with the olive oil.

Place over the very lowest heat possible, put the lid on, and stir occasionally, letting the onions steam until they're thoroughly wilted. (DON'T let them sautee -- they should just go limp and translucent.)

Then add two cans of plain tomato SAUCE, plus four cans of plain tomato PASTE, plus about a cup of Chianti (or however much Chianti it takes to achieve a thick, but stirrable consistency). Increase the heat to medium and stir often, replacing the lid between stirs. (If you have an electric stove, as I do, it's a good idea to use a little wire trivet between the burner and the pot.)

While it's cooking, prepare your spices. If I have them, I use fresh basil, sage, oregano, and parsley, rolling the leaves into tight little cigars and slicing them finely... but dried spices do fine if you rub them briskly between your hands to crush them and release their flavors. (Be warned that it takes a LOT more fresh spices than dried ones.)

I also add a touch of fresh-ground pepper, ALL the colors -- black, white, pink, and green. Gives it a nice citrusy tang.

And garlic, of course -- I don't like too much of it, because I'm going to serve this with very garlicky bread, but I always add at least a tablespoon or two of the finely-minced garlic that comes in those little jars.

I don't measure my spices -- I just have a feel for how "speckly" the sauce should be! :-)

When it's all in there, raise the heat to medium-high and stir continuously until it starts to bubble. Then reduce the heat to low, stir for another minute or so while the burner cools down, and replace the lid.

Now you can move on to other things, stirring occasionally, while the sauce simmers and mellows for an hour or so.

About fifteen minutes before dinnertime, taste it! Add more spices if you need them, and if you'd like to thin the sauce a little bit, you can add some more Chianti. (If it needs "something," but you aren't sure what, try a touch of salt -- but there's usually plenty of salt in the tomato sauce.) Increase the heat to medium-high and stir constantly until you're ready to serve.

You can refrigerate this sauce for a night or two, and freeze it after that. It actually tastes better the second day, after it's had a chance to mingle and mellow overnight.

About that garlic bread -- here's something we love: I go to Whole Foods and get their Rustic Italian loaf, a very sturdy, crusty white bread, and I slice it about three-quarters of an inch thick. I melt the butter in a saucepan, add the minced garlic (from the little jar) and some parsley, and then pour half of the mixture into a baking sheet (with sides, of course!). I lay the slices of bread on the sheet, cover them with tinfoil, and bake them at 400 degrees F until they're brown and crisp on the bottom...

Then I take them out, pour in the rest of the butter mixture, and replace the slices on their other sides to bake again! This gives you a really extravagant, crisp-on-both-sides bread that's irresistible.

And finally...

Carol's Parmesan Principle:
The delicitude of sketti is directly proportional to the excellence of the parmesan cheese served with it. Few of us can afford Grana Padano or Reggiano... but in the name of all that's holy, let us never sink below Kraft!

:-)

Thanks for the recipe Ryan! i've never made it from scratch, so I'll have to try it! I have to use angel hair pasta, or to me, it's not spaghetti. And garlic bread is a must. I use whatever jar of sauce looked good to me at the time, usually like super chunky mushroom or something like that.

We love pasta of all kinds and I serve it regularly. When it's spaghetti, it's generally one of these...

A Veggie sauce of my Dad's

1/4 c olive oil (or any good quality oil)
2-1/2 to 3 c finely chopped vegetables - a roughly equal combination of onion, green or red pepper, celery, carrot - let what's on hand be your guide
2 cloves garlic, pressed (optional)

28 oz can whole Italian style tomatoes, broken into large chunks
6 oz can tomato paste
salt, pepper and cayenne*, to taste

crushed chili peppers*
parmesan or romano cheese

Heat the oil in a large skillet. Saute' vegetables and garlic 10 minutes or so over medium heat, until lightly browned. Add tomatoes and tomato paste, salt and freshly ground pepper, and cayenne to taste. Mix well, simmer over low heat uncovered for about an hour - until thickened.

Serve over your choice of pasta (we prefer spaghettini). Garnish with crushed chili peppers to taste and sprinkle with cheese. Makes 4-6 servings.

*Find the "lowest common denominator" with the cayenne, and adjust to personal taste with the chilis.

Leftovers, if you have them, freeze well.


or my Mum's Baked Spaghetti

½ lb \tspaghetti (250g)
2 Tbsp oil or shortening
1 Tbsp chopped onion*
2 Tbsp chopped green pepper
28 oz can tomatoes (drained), broken up
1 tsp \tsalt
⅛ tsp \tfreshly ground pepper
⅛ tsp \tpaprika
2 tsp \tsugar
½ lb \tgrated extra old cheddar

Cook spaghetti in boiling salted water until tender. Drain. Cook onion and green pepper in oil (or melted shortening) until soft. Add tomatoes, salt, pepper, paprika, sugar. Simmer for 10 minutes. Mix drained spaghetti with sauce, and add 1½ cups cheese. Pour into casserole dish and sprinkle the rest of the cheese over top. Bake in hot oven (400) 20-25 minutes, or until cheese is brown.

-----------

We also like to have it just with anchovies, garlic and olive oil; Carbonara is nice too, for a change.

I could live off spagetti! Typically I use jar sauce...havn't quite mastered Grandma's, Mom's or Dad's recipies. Dad makes a meatier sauce, but Mom puts the right meat into it. Gram's is the best flavor though. I prefer meatballs because I'm really not a huge meat person. Someday I will get the three of them to each teach me while making it so I can pick a favorite.

The town I come from in Upstate NY has a lot of Italian families there (including mine, although my Grandma is Polish, she's had 60 years of marriage to an Italian to learn so she's practially authentic right?) so I'm used to good Italian sauces. When I moved here it was difficult to find good stuff when eating out. Fortunately we have found 2 authentic Italian restaurants. One I prefer more than the other, but they are both good.

Now I'm drooling! Better give Mom a call and see when she's gonna make some sauce next...or if she's got some frozen! That would do the trick!

*groan* now I'm not only hungry, I want some spaghetti!!!! Around here, it depends on who's making it.....I'm a fan of the Kraft box spaghetti dinners, lol. But for hub.......


Brown and drain ground chuck.
Sautee onions and bell peppers in olive oil until onions are translucent.(sometimes fresh garlic too)
In stock pot, combine meat, onions and peppers, add a couple of cans of tomato paste, and enough whole, crushed tomatoes (canned) to create desired thickness. Season to taste with salt, pepper, bay leaves (don't forget to pick 'em out) oregeno and garlic powder......Simmer until tomatoes are cooked totally to peices and flavors have blended. Enjoy!!

Originally Posted by Kiwideus

Oh thank goodness I am not the only one. I was beginning to think that I would be alone in my spaghetti haters support group.

Click to expand...

It's ok, that just leaves more for the rest of us!

I make spaghetti and meatballs. Our daughter requests it for special meals (birthdays, when her Italian boyfriend is visiting from Italy, etc.).

I don't have a "standard" recipe and just bear in mind that this sauce has to simmer for a minimum of 6 hours. I usually make it after work and simmer it until bedtime if I want it for the next day.

Sauce

1/2 onion finely chopped
2 bay leaves
2 cloves garlic (crushed or pressed)
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. allspice
1/2 tsp. chili peppers
1/2 tsp. salt
Pepper (about 1/2 tsp.)

1 can tomatoes (pureed in food processor)
1 can tomato sauce
1 can tomato paste
1 tsp. sugar (to cut the acid of the tomatoes)

Saute the onions, garlic and spices in oil (I usually do this in the big pot that the sauce will eventually reside in for cooking).

Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce and paste. Add 1 can of water for each of them (i.e., 1 can of water to rinse out the tomato can, 1 can of water to rinse out the tomato sauce can and 1 can of water to rinse out the paste can). Add the sugar. Let this come to a simmer while you prepare the meatballs.


Meatballs

2 lbs. ground beef (medium - not lean)
2 cloves garlic (crushed)
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 finely chopped onion
1 beaten egg
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. salt.

roll into small balls (about 3/4 - 1" in diameter).

Brown the meatballs in olive oil in batches.

Add the browned meatballs to the tomato sauce and simmer slowly for at least 6 hours. Stir about every 1/2 hour or any time you happen to pass the stove and think to do it.

This is a bit time consuming to make but once it's made it makes such a big batch that you can freeze it for those nights you don't feel like cooking and drag it out of the freezer and zap it in the microwave.

Our daughter says it's the best spaghetti sauce she's ever had including what she had in Italy.

Enjoy!

Most of the time, I make the standard red meat sauce but, once in a while, I get fancy.

Saute some chopped garlic, oregano and onions in butter/margarine/butter-flavored cooking spray (whichever you prefer)

Add 1/2 pound of 10-12 count peeled shrimp. Saute until shrimp are slightly brown.

Add one jar of Ragu Roasted Garlic & Parmesan Spaghetti Sauce. Reduce heat and let simmer until pasta is cooked. Serve over pasta. Serves two.

This is the ONLY time that I use sauce from a jar.

Originally Posted by Momofmany

As my cousin (who is 1/2 Italian) used to sing:
On top of spaghetti
All covered with cheese
I lost my poor meatball
Its sad if you please

It fell off the plate
And rolled on the floor
And now my poor meatball
Is simply no more.....

Click to expand...

I haven't heard that little tune in years, Amy!

Hmm, I seem to remember the lyrics as.....

On top of spaghetti
All covered with
I lost my poor meatball
When somebody sneezed

It rolled off the table
And onto the floor
And then my poor meatball
Rolled out of the door.

It rolled in the garden
And under a bush
And now my poor meatball
Is nothing but mush

So if you eat spaghetti
All covered with
Hold onto your meatball
AND DON'T EVER SNEEZE!

(We sang this out on the bus ramp a couple of weeks ago, as a matter of fact).

Wow! I'm impressed that you guys know all the words.

I am also impressed at everyone's recipes! What you should start next week is a lasagna thread because everyone makes that differently but mine's the best

I am lazy. I open a jar of Prego, some tomato sauce, basil, oregano, garlic powder add some red wine , some fresh mushrooms and ground sirloin and let simmer in the crockpot all day.

Cool. Everyone makes spaghetti so different. I'll be stealing ideas from these recipes for sure. I would like to try homemade tomato sauce though. I've only known sauce out of a jar all my life. Fwan, why do you live so far away?

Deb, those are the same lyrics I remember for that song, except I always thought it ended with the word "mush"