MOM’S SPAGHETTI AND MEAT SAUCE

Over the years, I have tried to duplicate my Mom, Betty’s, spaghetti sauce…with not much sucess…until now. Since my Mom passed away 9 years ago, I have not been able to consult her, and, she never wrote down any recipes. So, it’s always been a hit or miss deal when trying to cook my Mom’s great home cooking. No, we’re not Italian (we’re Danish), but she used to make this savory, meaty meat sauce for spaghetti quite often.

It has ground beef, a jarred marinara sauce, and added canned diced tomatoes…plus a few other little additions including some romano cheese. I have found that a good 2 hour cook works well, especially to cook out the sometimes tinny taste of canned tomatoes. Also, if possible, cook it the day before and stick it in the fridge overnight…it’s always better that way.

A good way to finish is with a couple pats of unsalted butter just before serving. Then, ladle a couple cups of the sauce into the cooked spaghetti and toss before serving. When plating, add more sauce and a large pinch of grated parmesan. Serve with garlic bread. Great weeknight dinner from my childhood…with incredible leftovers!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pound of lean ground beef (85/15)

• 1 tbsp canola oil

• 1 1/2 cups finely diced white or yellow onions

• 2 medium garlic cloves, peeled, thin sliced or minced

• 1/2 tsp Kosher salt

• 1/4 tsp black pepper

• Pinch of MSG (opt)

• 1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained

• 1 (24 ounce) jar of marinara sauce (rinsed with 1/4 cup of water then added to sauce)

• 1 cup water

• 1 tsp sugar

• Pinch of red pepper flakes

• 1/4 cup grated Romano cheese

• 2 tbsp of unsalted butter

• 12 ounces of spaghetti

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• Grated parmesan cheese for serving

DIRECTIONS:

• Place a large saucepan over medium heat and add 1 tbsp of canola oil. Crumble in the ground beef and brown until no longer pink, about 4-5 minutes. If there is too much liquid, drain the beef and return to the pan. Add the onions and stir for 2-3 minutes. Add the alt and pepper then add the garlic and stir for 1 minute.

• Add the drained tomatoes then the marinara sauce. Rinse the jar and add to the sauce.

• Add the sugar, red pepper flakes, and the grated Romano. Bring to a simmer and stir for 2 minutes. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.

• Uncover and continue to simmer to thicken the sauce for about 30 minutes if desired. Turn off the heat and stir in 2 tbsp of unsalted butter. Cover until ready to serve.

• Cook the spaghetti in generously salted water to just past al dente, about 11 minutes. Drain and return to the pan. Do not rinse. Toss with 1 tbsp of olive oil, cover, and keep warm until ready to serve.

• When ready to serve, add about 1-2 cups of the sauce to the cooked spaghetti and toss. Place the spaghetti by twirling into a nest. Top with more sauce and garnish with grated parmesan cheese.