What you'll need:

2 tbl spn of oil
3-4 green onions chopped
1-2 bay leaves
2-3 tbl spn of soy sauce(pref reduced sodium)
2-3 tbl spn of red pepper flakes
2-3 tbl spn of red chili powder
1/4 cup of hot sauce
1/4-1/2 cup of honey
1-2 tbl spn of tumeric
1 small box of thin spaghetti noodles
1 lb top round ground beef
1 large can of spaghetti sauce

Start off in a decent sized frying pan, add the oil, green onions, bay leaves, red pepper flakes, and turmeric. Let the seasoning develop about 5 mins on low heat. Take out the bay leaves and add the raw ground beef. Brown it, and when its almost browned, add the hot sauce, honey, red chili powder, and the soy sauce. Let those flavors develop and the ground beef finish cooking. Once that's done, add your can of spaghetti sauce(or make your own if thats what you do, it doesnt matter) and let it simmer for 10ish minutes on medium heat while covered with a lid until the sauce thickens up*.

While your sauce is thickening, in a large pot add salt and pepper and fill it about 1/2-3/4 the way full with water(depending on how much pasta you're cooking) and let it come to a boil. Then add your pasta and cover and let it cook til its al dente.

Once thats done, add the sauce to the pasta, mix thoroughly, and serve with a light sprinkle of grated parmigiano reggiano.

*Note: In the past, I've added about a cup of ricotta cheese to the sauce as well, to make it more creamy but its really optional and doesn't affect the over all flavor that much.

 

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It was perfect til you said canned spaghetti sauce!

 

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lol I said in the directions you can make your own if thats your thing, Im not that skilled yet

 

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LoL I hear you, just was like wow yum mmm - wait what! Canned sauce???

LoL here's my Sicilian sauce:

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds fresh tomatoes
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 – 5 garlic cloves
1/2 cup basil, finely chopped*
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon sea salt, ground
1/2 cup water

*If using dried or jarred basil, you will want to dump it into your palms, crushing it by rubbing your hands briskly together before dumping it into the pot. This will bring out more flavour.

Directions

Fill a large stew pot half full with water and bring to boil.
Wash tomatoes and place gently into the water, 5 at a time.
Allow tomato to boil for 3 minutes.
Remove tomato and allow to sit and cool.
Complete until all tomatoes have been boiled.
Quarter tomatoes and remove skin.
In a heavy saucepan over low to medium heat, place tomatoes and olive oil in.
Using a press, add garlic.
Add red peppers, salt and basil.
Allow to cook for 5 minutes, then add water.
Cover with a lid and reduce heat to low.
Allow to cook for another fifteen minutes.
Remove from heat.
Using an electric mixer on medium to high speeds, beat sauce to a thickened consistency.

 

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how do you feel about using canned tomatoes? I really cant tell that much difference once its cooked vs using fresh tomatoes

other than that the only thing I would change is not using a garlic press on the garlic, as I like it ALOT and I might even add more cloves

Id probably in the end put it in a food processor too and blitz it, I dont care for really chunky sauces, I prefer them very smooth which I guess is why I dont mind canned sauces that much.

 

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canned tomatoes are really good for sauces. they have a more even flavor. processed at just the right time.

esp in the winter when good flavorful tomatoes are scarce.

in a sauce, tomato or meat sauces esp, canned or fresh, it is all in your own preference.

 

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I can't make my own sauce from scratch anymore - I have a skin allergy to tomatoes, especially when in contact with steam from fresh tomatoes.

I usually use Italian sausage in my pasta instead of hamburger. I like the extra flavor it adds.

Silver

 

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I almost always used canned tomatoes unless I have the day to waste or I want to blacken them first. Their flavour is much more rich.

And yes yummm on the Italian sausage vs hamburger!

 

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yeah Ive tried sausage in my spaghetti, I dunno I might be doing something wrong..I cook them first to try to develop the flavor...but I never seem to detect them in the pasta. I think its because I have so many other flavors going on in the pasta already it gets totally lost. The honey is very very overpowering but you almost need it in my recipe to balance out the heat. I think if I left some of the heat off and alot of the honey I could taste the sausage more.

 

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With the variety of seasonings you are using - I wouldn't try the sausage. It stands alone very well, or with a touch of sage, thyme and oregano. You can also blend it with hamburger for meatballs, I have problems with making meatballs of just sausage as the consistency isn't what it should be unless I steam cook them. By adding the sausage to hamburger you can retain the shape and the smoother consistency with all of the flavour of sausage.

 

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