Spaghetti Fit!

Greetings Food Lovers and all things fun!

As I have previously mentioned, this weekend is the premiere of "The Walking Dead" on AMC, this is the same channel the bring us "Breaking Bad" and "Mad Men", two excellent and critically acclaimed shows.  I had talked about what I was planning to prepare for that night, but during the week it hit me.  The Spaghetti Fit.  It was useless to try and resist.  When it happens I go straight to the kitchen and see what I need, and if I don't have it, I go get it.  From there its time to cook...

I have always been a spaghetti fiend.  When I was a kid, my mom would make it and it would be gone the next day, leftover are for suckers! I love it! And as I have expanded my horizons in the kitchen, I have developed my own interpretation on the dish. I definitely encourage you to try this one.


To start I fill my pasta boiler with water and get that boiling, then I grab a large stock pot and pour in a little olive oil and let that get warm over medium-high heat, then I take about 1 pound of Ground Beef, sometimes I'll use 1/2 pound of beef and 1/2 pound of Sausage, but for this excursion I used beef only.  Once the pot is nice and war, then I add the beef that has already been pre-seasoned with salt and ground black pepper, as that starts brown and render down, I then add, depending on size, 1 or 2 Red Onions and 1 large Yellow Onion, and let the start cook along with the beef.  While that is going on I will take 3-4 cloves of garlic and finely chop them up and add them to the fun.  And right about now your kitchen should start filling up with that aromatic scent of good food...!  Then I will take a basket or two of Mushrooms, depending on mood, and give them a very coarse or rough chop, I like to get chunks of Mushroom in every bite!  Add them to the beef and watch as they all dance and blend and release their flavors...pure ecstasy.

In the past I have talked about making my own Tomato sauce, (Thanks Marcy for the Tomatoes!) but on this journey I was fresh out, nuts! But I was prepared because when I went to the store earlier I got two cans of tomato sauce, one large and one small.  As well as one large can of diced tomatoes.  I added that to the mixture and its magnificent! But not quite ready to rumble yet, after adding the tomato sauce I reduce the heat to a simmer and as the sauce simmers, I check to see if my pasta water is a nice boil, and since it is I salt that water and add a tablespoon of olive oil to it, the oil is the ensure the pasta won't stick, then add my pasta to the boiling water.

As my attention returns to my sauce I just need to add a few seasonings to it and we are done!  As the sauce is simmering now, I add a tablespoon of Oregano, and a table spoon of Italian Seasoning.  And since my mom likes hers with a little heat, I do as well, so I then add 1 to 2 tablespoons of Chili Powder to the sauce depending on my mood.  I have learned that, like Gorgonzola, too much will overpower your finished product.  So before adding the second tablespoon, taste it, if the heat quotient is sufficient then leave as is, if not, add a little more and taste again and once you are satisfied with the taste just let it simmer on low making sure to stir it periodically.  That's to ensure an even and smooth distribution of the ingredients as well as making sure it doesn't stick to the pot.

Once the pasta is nice and done, usually about 8 minutes or so, drain all the water from it and add it to your sauce, let it all simmer together for a few minutes and then its time to grub!  Serve along with a salad or some French bread and a glass of wine, and enjoy one of the simpler pleasures....

That's all for this brief one, so have a safe and fun Halloween, and I'll be watching "The Walking Dead" after the World Series, thus until next time...

Thanks for reading,

Marc-Big Sexy