Old Family Spaghetti Recipes!

[QueenIsabella]

Well, I've been to Italy, and can attest that they do, in fact, make tomato sauce. Lots of it. I think the volcanic soil in Italy gives the tomatoes a special flavor. I had always ignored the "hype" of Italian-grown tomatoes, thinking was just that-- hype. Then, I went to Italy. I swear, even the tomatoes in the MacDonald's salad (don't ask!) tasted much better than anything I've eaten here.

The next time I make a Bolognese, I may try adding a little worcestershire, just to see if it makes a difference. I don't know about adding cheese to the sauce--it sounds good, but I have one kid who doesn't like cheese. Weirdo.

 

[wenrob]

Sugar!!! I forgot to add the sugar!! It helps smoothe out that acid! Edited the recipe now, thanks!!

Yours showed sugar.

Someone mentioned the grated cheese. I got that idea from an Italian who ran the best restaurant I'd eaten at in a while. The sauce was so amazing and I asked him what made it so GOOD. He smiled and said his Italian grandmother always added parmesean cheese towards the end of the simmering and I've added it since then.

I was wondering about adding a Parmesan rind. It takes soups to a whole ‘nother level so I can see it being great in a meat sauce.

 

[Skywalker]

I'm with you. I can't imagine putting in tobasco, rosemary, or grated cheese in either. Yuck.

I like it simple. My favorite jar sauce is Mezetta brand Delicate Marinara. It has 6 ingredients. Tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper, and basil.

Really? Someone takes the time to post a tried and true recipe of theirs and you come on here and actually say "yuck". Wow. That's so rude. I appreciate the recipe and it sounds great to me. Glad you like your Mezetta brand sauce though

 

[sjberg79]

I don't really measure, I never brown my meat and I use a crock pot. But this is how I do it.

In a blender I blend a giant can of crushed tomatoes, a large can of tomato paste, and a can or two of tomato sauce. Sometimes I toss in some fresh basil leaves if I have them. Then I dump that in the crock pot. I dump in a bunch dried basil, dried oregano, some Italian seasoning, 1-2 bay leaves, some sugar and a splash of whatever wine I have open in the fridge. I don't drink reds because the tannins give me migraines so it's white wine. The blasphemy! then I dump in a pound of ground sirloin or ground beef or ground sausage and I just stir it in nice and let that cook 2-3 hours on high. Then I make meatballs. More ground meat, eggs, and breadcrumbs and I put those in that hot sauce and turn the heat down to low and let it cook another 3-4 hours. It is a meaty, yummy masterpiece that gets inhaled by my family. It might sound gross to some and that's fair, it's probably not for everyone.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

Spaghetti sauce is more of an Americanized thing to my understanding. I’ve never been to Italy but most Italians I’ve known serve more of a marinara.

Italians do serve meat sauce. Quite a bit of it actually. They just don't serve it on spaghetti usually. They use bigger pastas. Spaghetti is usually served with a very light sauce. Also though they do serve tomato sauce, their Bolognese sauce usually doesn't contain near the amount of tomatoes our typical meat sauce here in the states does. They use just a little bit of paste in Bolognese sauce. In fact our typical meat sauce more closely resembles sauces from the tomato rich southern areas of Italy.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

I don't really measure, I never brown my meat and I use a crock pot. But this is how I do it.

I don't drink reds because the tannins give me migraines so it's white wine.

The use reds here and use whites here kind of went out once the varieties of both really exploded. There are some purists that will gasp and turn their noses up. But they're always looking for a reason to turn their noses up. There are plenty of whites you can use for that purpose today. Just make sure it's a dry one and don't use cooking wine. You'll be fine.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

No two people are going to make their sauces exactly alike, and there’s nothing wrong with that! As I said before, I love a homemade sauce and really appreciate the effort that went into making it - whatever’s in it! I haven’t had too many bad sauces - once in a while at a restaurant.

Years ago, my DH and I worked with an older woman from Italy and she liked us a lot. She lived across the street and would regularly come in after her shift, as we were leaving, with a huge hot sauce and warm spaghetti for us to take home. Omg, it was sooo good! I basically use her recipe, but mine never comes close to how good hers always was - there was just something about hers... and it was so nice of her to do, we never forgot it.

 

[low-key]

I love Newman's Sockarooni Sauce, but when I retire, Im going to do like you people and really make something delicious

 

[AustinTink]

Worchestershire isn't really a flavor that you can taste. It has so many unique ingredients and just adds a touch of something. As far as how it tastes, every person who has ever had it, took a bite, stopped and said "This is the best sauce I've ever had!" Even picky children who hate spaghetti ask for more which is odd to me.

Just make sure when you serve it to guests, no one has a shellfish allergy. I was served a dish not knowing it had Worcestershire sauce in it and ended up at the minor emergency. It has anchovies in it and it very dangerous for those of us with shellfish allergies.

Just my psa for today. I keep seeing Worcestershire sauce popping up in recipes that don't typically call for it. So, it's hard to know what is safe to eat.

 

[AustinTink]

Actually, it seems like Worcestershire sauce seems to be making a comeback (at least on cooking shows)

I have noticed that on the shows lately. It's scary to me because I'm allergic to it. I have to ask now whenever I'm served anything anywhere. Does this have Worcestershire? I wish this resurgence would fade away.

 

[Imzadi]

Just make sure when you serve it to guests, no one has a shellfish allergy. I was served a dish not knowing it had Worcestershire sauce in it and ended up at the minor emergency. It has anchovies in it and it very dangerous for those of us with shellfish allergies.

Wow. I'll certainly remember to mention it when I put it in something.

 

[QueenIsabella]

I do have to say--shape of pasta is a big deal, at least in our house, and the different shapes are more appropriate for different types of sauces. Angel hair or vermicelli cry out for a delicate marinara, while your heartier shapes--rotini, etc.--cry out for a rich, thick bolognese type sauce. Tubular and ruffled pasta--your elbows, penne, raddiatore--are fabulous with a good, cheesy type sauce. I use farfelle or rotini if I'm making pasta salad--they hold up well. Small shapes--tiny shells, orzo--go well in soups. In our house, regular spaghetti is the least favorite for my kids, but certain recipes, I just have to have it. My dad was born in Italy, so I'm about to lose my "Italian cred" here, but two popular dished in this house are chili spaghetti and spaghetti with cut-up hot dogs. Those require spaghetti. In my defense, I make the chili from scratch. Spaghetti and hot dogs was just something my (non-Italian) mom came up with, probably because it was cheap. It's about as authentic as Olive Garden, but it's popular with my kids, and remains a cheap, filling meal.

 

[Hisgirl]

I make my moms Italian sauce she made while I was growing up, the only thing I have changed through the years is now instead of crushed tomatoes, I use the San Marzano tomatoes, they make a big taste difference to me.

YES. Whenever I've researched excellent traditional sauces, it always says to use these tomatoes, even over fresh. And...hahaha, I found several others who used worchestershire! I was beginning to think I was the only one, LOL!

 

[Hisgirl]

omg, yall.....I wasn't thinking about worchestershire containing anchovies but it sure does and I've also seen anchovies in a well-known chain BBQ sauce! Can't recall the name now but I was shocked when I read all of the ingredients.
I hope someone here would try the recipe and let me know what you think. It's so hard to type out a recipe when you don't measure as you cook. If it looks too thick, I add more wine, water, or beef stock. Taste for salt and maybe it needs more of this or that.

What I found was that yes, a traditional marinara is simple and easy, adding more herbs, wines, flavors deepened, intensify and wow...you can just take things to a place you never thought was possible.

It's kinda like an apple pie recipe that was passed down from an elderly Aunt. It has two ingredients I have never seen in another recipe and it's hands down the best apple pie I've ever eaten. Sometimes that little something adds a big something

 

[luvsJack]

Just make sure when you serve it to guests, no one has a shellfish allergy. I was served a dish not knowing it had Worcestershire sauce in it and ended up at the minor emergency. It has anchovies in it and it very dangerous for those of us with shellfish allergies.

Just my psa for today. I keep seeing Worcestershire sauce popping up in recipes that don't typically call for it. So, it's hard to know what is safe to eat.

Thank you! This was something that I never would have thought about and I have a dil with shellfish allergies. I use it in several different things as it really does enhance the meaty flavor.

Are anchovies a shellfish? I thought they were just little fish.

 

[NYCgrrl]

Wrong

 

[tasha99]

LOL...actually I never use recipes. I had to pay close attention to what I did because people keep asking for a recipe. This recipe 'per se' has been in my family for generations but I've changed it so much, it's a new recipe I guess. My way is always a handful of this, a couple pinches of that, oooOh, I think I'll use that this time....stuff like that. I was just wanting to hear what interesting things people put in their sauces.

I never use a recipe either for meat sauce. We use a lot of the same ingredients, including wine. These people icking out over Worcestershire sauce would freak out at me . . . lately I've been tossing in a little fish sauce for umami. Never tried adding cheese, but I've heard of it. I copied the recipe down and will make it when it gets a little cooler. Thanks!

Just make sure when you serve it to guests, no one has a shellfish allergy. I was served a dish not knowing it had Worcestershire sauce in it and ended up at the minor emergency. It has anchovies in it and it very dangerous for those of us with shellfish allergies.

Just my psa for today. I keep seeing Worcestershire sauce popping up in recipes that don't typically call for it. So, it's hard to know what is safe to eat.

People should be aware of this about kimchi as well, as Korean food becomes more popular in America. Good kimchi often has little fermented shrimp in it, as well as fish sauce. I love making kimchi and it has spoiled us to the point where store bought tastes flat and whimpy. In the stores here, it's often vegetarian and you can check the label, but in a restaurant, someone with a shellfish allergy should ask.

 

[cabanafrau]

I don't really measure, I never brown my meat and I use a crock pot. But this is how I do it.

In a blender I blend a giant can of crushed tomatoes, a large can of tomato paste, and a can or two of tomato sauce. Sometimes I toss in some fresh basil leaves if I have them. Then I dump that in the crock pot. I dump in a bunch dried basil, dried oregano, some Italian seasoning, 1-2 bay leaves, some sugar and a splash of whatever wine I have open in the fridge. I don't drink reds because the tannins give me migraines so it's white wine. The blasphemy! then I dump in a pound of ground sirloin or ground beef or ground sausage and I just stir it in nice and let that cook 2-3 hours on high. Then I make meatballs. More ground meat, eggs, and breadcrumbs and I put those in that hot sauce and turn the heat down to low and let it cook another 3-4 hours. It is a meaty, yummy masterpiece that gets inhaled by my family. It might sound gross to some and that's fair, it's probably not for everyone.

Wouldn't you brown the ground meat before adding it to the crockpot? Same with the meatballs?

 

[AustinTink]

I never use a recipe either for meat sauce. We use a lot of the same ingredients, including wine. These people icking out over Worcestershire sauce would freak out at me . . . lately I've been tossing in a little fish sauce for umami. Never tried adding cheese, but I've heard of it. I copied the recipe down and will make it when it gets a little cooler. Thanks!




People should be aware of this about kimchi as well, as Korean food becomes more popular in America. Good kimchi often has little fermented shrimp in it, as well as fish sauce. I love making kimchi and it has spoiled us to the point where store bought tastes flat and whimpy. In the stores here, it's often vegetarian and you can check the label, but in a restaurant, someone with a shellfish allergy should ask.

Yes, most asian restaurants are off limits to me due to the inclusion of oyster sauce and fish sauce in almost all their dishes. You can ask for it to be omitted, but the chance of cross contamination is too great.

 

[AustinTink]

Thank you! This was something that I never would have thought about and I have a dil with shellfish allergies. I use it in several different things as it really does enhance the meaty flavor.

Are anchovies a shellfish? I thought they were just little fish.

They are fish, but for whatever reason people with shellfish allergies react to them. It was one of the worst reactions I have ever had.