twain@blake.u.washington.edu (Barbara Hlavin) (10/31/90)
In article <1990Oct25.224820.23345@mthvax.cs.miami.edu> mjs4709@ultb.isc.rit.edu (M.J. Solomon ) writes: >Does anyone have a good recipe for spagetti sauce? I have dozens of recipes for sauces to be served over various kinds of pastas, but, assuming you mean the classic tomato-based spaghetti sauce, here is my basic recipe: SPAGHETTI SAUCE 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 large yellow onions 4-6 cloves garlic 1# beef, something relatively 32 oz tomato sauce inexpensive, like a sirloin apple cider vinegar tip roast, or top round oregano thyme basil salt, pepper to taste 1/2# fresh mushrooms 2 teaspoons butter ===== (1) Heat olive oil in dutch oven or large skillet. (2) Chop the onions and mince the garlic, add to pan and cook over medium heat until onions become translucent. Do not burn the garlic. (3) Slice the beef against the grain into slices. (This job will be much easier if you put the meat into the freezer for an hour or so beforehand.) (4) Add meat to garlic and onions and stir. Add about 1/2 teaspoon each oregano, basil, thyme. Stir. Add a little more oil if necessary. (5) When meat is not longer red (some pieces may still be pinkish), add 3 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar. (The vinegar tenderizes the meat, and adds a rich, almost elusive flavor to the sauce.) (6) Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. (7) Add tomato sauce. When the mixture begins to boil, reduce heat to a simmer and leave it alone for about half an hour. Then taste it and adjust the seasoning. At this point you can serve it, or continue simmering for several more hours, or refrigerate it to blend the flavors and continue cooking the following day. ===== BEFORE SERVING Rinse and slice the mushrooms Melt the butter in a pan; add the mushrooms. Reduce heat. Mushrooms will be done when they turn dark and limp and there is a delicious mushroom nectar at the bottom of the pan. Serve the mushrooms on top of the sauce. FOR THE SPAGHETTI I used to cook the finest spaghetti I could find, but lately I've developed a preference for linguine noodles. You can use any kind of noodles you want. Follow directions on package. If you add a dollop of oil to the water in which you cook the pasta, you won't have the problem of the noodles sticking together, and the water won't boil over. Also, you should stir the noodles a few times while they're cooking, just to let them know who's boss. NOTE: Sometimes I add a couple of teaspoons of crushed red pepper flakes. Hope this is what you wanted. --Barbara twain@blake.acs.washington.edu