Recipes: Spaghetti

When I was in my country, Indonesia, before moving to USA, spaghetti was sold and found only at Mc. Donald. I didn't like it at that time. I didn't know why, but I thought maybe the blend of the spicy was not suit with my taste. After I moved to USA and finally I knew that spaghetti was one of the regular food in USA, I started to learn how cook the tasty spaghetti. Thanks God, my husband was the only person who taught me about the kinds of new herbs I should know to cook spaghetti.

I still remember the first time I learned to cook spaghetti. I followed the recipe from the spaghetti package but I didn't like it, it was to blend for me. As I am from the country where the people like the spicy food very much, so you should understand why I like the spicy food. Because I like pasta, so I tried at the next time when I cooked spaghetti I used my own ingredients. Below is my own recipe. It is simple but spicy enough to me. I would give the name My Own Spaghetti'.

MY OWN SPAGHETTI

- 18 oz package of spaghetti, cook as directions, drain and pour with 1 TBS olive oil to toss.
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- cup diced sweet onion
- 2 clove of garlic , minced
- 1 fresh medium tomato, dice
- 1 30 oz jar of chunky spaghetti sauce or any kind you like
- tsp freshly chopped oregano
- Salt to taste
- Freshly ground white pepper to taste
- - tsp chili powder (if you don't like it, don't use it)
- cup grated Parmesan Cheese
- 2 TBS olive oil


Directions:

- Bring water to boil and add spaghetti according to box directions, drain and pour with 1 TBS olive oil to toss, set aside.
- Meanwhile you are cooking the spaghetti, brown the ground beef in a large non-stick skillet, drain and discard the fat.
- Pour 1 TBS olive oil on medium heat at the same skillet.
- Add garlic, saut for 1 minute, add diced tomato, diced onion, saut around 6-7 minutes. Stirring occasionally.
- Add brown ground beef, salt, pepper, chili powder, stir and close the skillet for 3 minutes. Open and stir again.
- Add chopped freshly oregano, stir and let them cooked around 2-3 minutes.
- Add the mixture spaghetti sauce to spaghetti, toss and pour with grated parmesan cheese.

Hmmm, even my husband who is American likes it. We like My Own Spaghetti. (*)

Published at Helium, July 5, 2008