24.7.12

Spaghetti Tuesday!

I have no idea what it is about Tuesday but ever since I was a kid, it's always meant Spaghetti.  My Irish immigrant parents were 6 out of 7 days focused on some kind of meat with potatoes so, when Tuesday's came along, I was in heaven.  This is an old recipe that my mother taught me, she had Italian routes and it has been our family favorite ever since.


The Meatballs:


1/2 pound Ground Beef
1/2 pound Ground Pork
1 Egg
1/2 cup Bread Crumbs
1/4 cup Sherry (Osborne is my fav)
1/2 Tbsp of Kitchen Stories Italian Herb Blend
1/4 tsp Kosher Salt
1/4 tsp Cracked Black Pepper


Wash Hands
Mix it all up with your hand/hands (best tools ever)
Shape Meatballs into preferred size
Sear on all sided, a Medium High heat is good enough
You'll finish cooking these in the sauce so don't worry about them being under cooked


The Sauce:


1/2 pound Ground Beef
2 Cups Chopped Celery
1 Cup Chopped Onion
2 Tbsp of Classico Herb Blend Mix
1 16 oz can of Diced Tomatoes
1 6 oz can of  Tomato Paste


To Do:


Nothing wrong with starting the sauce first, let it cook on simmer for as long as you like!  Here's where you begin though.

In a large skillet (I really only started using a skillet a few weeks ago and honestly, I love it.  Previous to that for the last gazillion years, it was a pot but when you only have an hour to cook a home made meal, this thing reduces like nothing else).

So, in a large skillet, on high heat, brown meat to half way cooked.  Add chopped celery, onion and garlic.  Cook for about 15 minutes, stirring frequently (Spaghetti is so gross burnt) until the meat is cooked through and the celery has some bend to it (opacity too).  Don't worry about crunchiness, it'll all soften up once we pour in the liquids.


During a really nice sizzle in the pan, pour in the Diced Tomatoes.  Stir, Stir, Stir, Get it up to a boil then reduce to a slow simmer for half a day ------OK, 1/2 an hour for you pressed loved ones.


Feel it out at this point.  This is not a science but more of a preference.  My husband loves a soupy sauce, while my son and I prefer a firmer one.  Gauge how your family feels about their sauce and then...


Slowly add the Tomato Paste.  A little at a time while you stir at a Medium Heat to your desired yummy lumpiness.


Throw in those Meatballs!  Cover and simmer for as long as you can wait or have.  This sauce is just as delicious in 30 minutes as it is in a day.


Eat Well, Feel Great!


Love,
Deirdre & Keifer





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