Look at it this way: You have been out at the flying field for most of the day, and have had only the occasional can of diet Coke to sustain you. Upon arriving home, you are greeted by one of the following potential situations.
Your wife meets you at the door with "that look" on her face. Yep, you didn't make it home on time, again.
Your wife does not meet you at the door because you don't posses one, and you are hungry as a horse.
By following the simple procedure outlined below (pretend its the assembly manual for a new Eagle), you can concoct a meal that is sure to smooth over the wife's ruffled feathers (and perhaps guarantee some extras later on). If you don't have a wife, then this is a sure-fire way to stuff yourself with some of the greatest food known, and to have enough to stick in the freezer for some other time.
Have the following ingredients available. This is for my simple level 1 recipe. If you would like to know the upgrades send me an e-mail.
Step 1Pour the olive oil into a large saucepan and place on medium heat. Add the onions and stir until the onions look translucent. Be careful not to brown the onions.
Add the ground beef and increase the heat. Use a wooden spoon to break the ground beef up into smaller and smaller pieces as it browns. This is a continuous operation and takes about 4 minutes to completely brown all the beef.
Add the sugar which counteracts the tomatoes acid, tomato sauce, chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, garlic, and oregano. The oregano adds spiciness to the sauce; an almost peppery flavor if too much is used. Stir the sauce and reduce to low heat. At this point you can add the bay leaf or leaves if you have them. Once the sauce starts to simmer, you can taste it and add the salt. Usually, 1/2 a teaspoon is plenty.
In a large glass, pour a measure of red table wine. Don't use anything fancy or expensive, you couldn't tell the difference. Drink the measure and refill your glass. The whole idea of cooking is to enjoy it, and having a good buzz really sets the mood.
Add at a cup of red wine to the simmering sauce. Keep the sauce on low heat, uncovered, for 15 minutes minimum. This will allow it to thicken.
Step 2While the spaghetti sauce is simmering, half fill another large saucepan with water. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil and 1/2 a teaspoon of salt to the water. Bring to the boil and add the spaghetti. Now, if you are by yourself, 10ozs of spaghetti can fill you pretty good. A pound of spaghetti can feed two good sized folk, so adjust the amount as you please and add this to the water.
Be sure to stir the pasta in the boiling water as it will bind together if you don't. After the pasta turn a little white it is not necessary to stir it further. When 5 minutes have past, take a strand of spaghetti from the water and eat it. The spaghetti is cooked when it is soft but still has a little bite to it. Please, do not over cook the spaghetti!!
Strain the water off, and add a knob of butter to the pasta.
Step 3Pile the pasta on a plate, smoother in sauce, sprinkle on some parmesan cheese, pour another measure of wine, and eat...
Hope you enjoy it. If you have a recipe you would like to share, why not let others in on it. Coming soon, a recipe for a level 1 chile con carne.
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Copyright © 1998 Chris Berardi. All rights reserved.
Revised: November 25, 1999.