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My Spaghetti

Source of Recipe

From "Come on Over!" by Elizabeth Heiskell


Recipe Introduction

"I believe everybody has one dish that they are really proud of. That one thing that when you make it you know everyone is going to have to have it. So seriously good that if you had a flashing sign outside above your door, it would read: 'Home of the World's Best X.' Well, this is my 'world's best' dish: my spaghetti sauce. It is loosely based on my mother's and grandmother's Bolognese sauce. Cue the marquee, 'Home of the World-Famous Spaghetti Sauce,' and get to cooking. This recipe is already doubled for you. I always freeze half the sauce. It's the perfect base for lasagna or Spaghetti Pie. Having spaghetti sauce in the freezer is like having good insurance — always there when you need it. And trust me, you will need it!"

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 5 pounds ground chuck
â—¦ 3 tablespoons olive oil
â—¦ 1 large yellow onion, chopped (about 3 cups)
â—¦ 4 cloves garlic, chopped
â—¦ 1 stalk celery, finely chopped
â—¦ ½ carrot, peeled and chopped so fine it's unrecognizable
â—¦ 1 (14.5-ounce)can crushed tomatoes
â—¦ 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste with Italian herbs
â—¦ 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
â—¦ 3 bay leaves
â—¦ 1 teaspoon dried oregano
â—¦ 1 teaspoon dried basil
â—¦ ½ teaspoon dried parsley
â—¦ 4 cups beef broth, maybe a little more to thin the sauce as it cooks down
â—¦ Salt and pepper
â—¦ 1 (1-pound) package very thin spaghetti noodles
â—¦ 4 tablespoons (½ stick) salted butter


Recipe

Heat a Dutch oven or other large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Cook the beef, stirring often, until crumbled and no longer pink, about 15 minutes. Remove the meat with a slotted spoon and set aside; pour the grease into the trash.

Add the oil to the same pot and then add the onion, garlic, celery and carrot. Sauté until the onion is translucent, about 8 minutes.

Add back the cooked beef and stir in the tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, bay leaves, oregano, basil, parsley and broth. Bring to a boil and boil for about 10 minutes, then turn the heat down to low.

Simmer for at least 30 minutes, or 1 to 2 hours if you have that much time; the longer it cooks, the more intense the flavors will get. Since the broth can be very salty, taste the sauce before adding salt, then season to taste with pepper. Remove the bay leaves.

Boil the spaghetti in a large pot of salted water according to the package instructions until tender. Drain well. Pour the pasta back into the pot. Add 4 to 5 cups of the sauce (about half of the sauce) and then the butter. Mix well and serve.

Serves 8, with extra to store




Spaghetti Pie:

"This is my adaptation of TV host Adam Richman's recipe. When Adam made his spaghetti pie on the Today show, it went viral. It's one of their top requested recipes. After making my own version, I have to agree it was pretty fantastic. Serve it with a green salad and garlic bread."

â—¦ 12 ounces dried spaghetti noodles, cooked al dente and drained
â—¦ 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
â—¦ 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
â—¦ 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
â—¦ ¼ cup tomato paste
â—¦ 2 tablespoons olive oil
â—¦ 4 cups sauce from My Spaghetti (about ½ recipe)

Preheat the oven to 350° F.
In a large bowl, mix together the spaghetti, eggs, parmesan, 1 cup of the mozzarella, and the tomato paste.

Grease a 9- or 10-inch deep dish pie pan with the olive oil. Spread half of the spaghetti sauce in the bottom. Top with the noodle mixture and press to make the noodles even. Top with the remaining sauce. Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup mozzarella on top.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top is golden and the pie is warmed through. Let sit at room temperature for 10 minutes, then slice like a pie with a sharp knife.

Serves 6