Growing up, spaghetti was a big deal in my house. My mom made delicious spaghetti. Like, really good. I mean, I liked it, but my dad? He LOVED it. After my mom passed away, my dad, sister, and I were sitting in the funeral home waiting on our coordinator and my dad started crying. Seeing him cry, I asked, “Dad, do you need a minute?” His response? “I just realized I will never get to eat your mom’s spaghetti again.” As you can imagine, the days after my mom’s sudden death were really emotional. But this moment made me laugh- hard. It made me start thinking about all of my mom’s signature dishes that I wouldn’t ever get to devour again. It was emotional. Food brings us together. It’s an essential part of living our lives and it can be super connective.
As hard as I try, my spaghetti will never be my mom’s. And this is ok. I still make good spaghetti. My husband also has an obsessional connection to my spaghetti; so in a way, I feel close to my mom when I am making it. I am not making it because I want it, I am making it because I want my family’s tummies to be satisfied. It comes from a place of love… which Italians will tell you is the best way to prepare food.
Kendall’s Spaghetti:
Ok, I am terrible with measurements because it changes depending on how many people I am cooking for- so adjust as you see fit. ALSO, I can make homemade spaghetti but usually I don’t budget enough time, so the below is the easier way- with canned sauce, diced tomatoes, and tomato paste!
The below recipe will comfortably serve 2-4 people depending on how hungry you are.
Ingredients:
- 1.5 pounds of ground beef
- 16 oz of spaghetti pasta (a whole box- yep, just do it)- if your local grocer is out because people have stocked up on their COVID supplies, linguini will do too.
- 8 oz. of sliced white mushrooms
- 1 yellow onion finely chopped
- ¼ cup of dry red wine
- Thyme
- Oregano
- Dried basil
- Red pepper flakes
- Garlic powder OR real garlic (about 2 cloves minced)- you can pick or use both
- Salt
- Pepper
- Parmesan
- 2.5 oz. to 3 oz of canned tomato paste
- 20 oz of canned tomato sauce
- 15 oz of canned diced tomatoes
Process:
I like the meat in my sauce to have really good flavor, so I always toss it into the skillet first on medium heat and liberally season with salt, pepper, and ALL OF the seasonings mentioned above (EXCEPT red pepper flakes- unless you want to, of course). Season to your tastes. As it cooks, keep stirring it up and adjusting the flavor as you like. When the beef is about 5 minutes from being done, toss in your onion and minced garlic (if using). Let it all cook together for about another 5 minutes on medium heat.
At this point, start heating up your heavily salted water for pasta (should taste like salt water).
Right as that is all finishing, toss in your wine and let it stew for a few minutes before adding in your canned tomato goods. I like a really thick sauce which is why I use so many variations of tomato! Once all of your tomato is in the pan with the meat, season again with the above seasonings- use what you want and how much you want… taste it as you go. Then, once it’s all assembled, let it simmer for 30 minutes.
Once your pot of water is boiling, get your pasta in there and cook until it is your desired texture. I prefer a firmer noodle but my 2 year old likes it a bit on the soggier side.
Once everything is done, mix it all together in a big bowl with some parmesan. Dinner is served!
THIS IS NOT A FANCY RECIPE. This is a really simple recipe that is meant to get dinner on the table quickly. For a truly homemade from scratch spaghetti recipe, tune in next month. I only make it once a year!
Enjoy!
The Salty Exchange 