Recipes for Tuesday #4
Who doesn't love weeknight Spaghetti and Garlic Bread?
I know everyone has their own go-to spaghetti recipe, but James showed me this one, and I haven’t gone back. It pairs wonderfully with this flavor-packed, crispy garlic bread.
James’ Spaghetti
Ingredients:
1 lb. hot Italian sausage (if you can’t find it, do mild Italian and add more red pepper flakes later)
1 white onion, diced
2 zucchini chopped
8-10 white button mushrooms, sliced
3 tablespoons minced garlic
1/8 cup of tomato paste
3 tablespoons Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes (optional)
1 jar of marinara sauce
1 14 oz can of stewed tomatoes
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons sugar (optional)
1 16 oz box of spaghetti noodles
Instructions:
Heat up a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat.
Begin to brown your Italian sausage and break up into smaller pieces.
Once sausage looks mostly cooked, add in your onions and mushrooms. Cook for 2-3 minutes to start to soften.
Add in your zucchini, garlic, tomato paste, Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes. Mix well so the tomato paste coats the other ingredients. Cook for another 2-3 minutes.
Add your jar of marinara and your stewed tomatoes. Let combine and cook for about 5 minutes then taste for any needed seasonings. This is where I typically add a pinch of salt and a couple teaspoons of sugar to break through the acidity of all the tomato products we’ve added.
Turn the heat down to low, add your whole bay leaves and cover.
This sauce gets better the longer you let it cook. If you have the time, I like to let it go for at least 30-45 minutes. If you’re in a pinch, go ahead and start cooking your spaghetti noodles at this point which will take about 15-20 minutes. This should still give the flavors in the sauce plenty of time to mingle.
Remove your bay leaves and stir in your spaghetti noodles. Top with grated parmesan.
Story time:
Spaghetti is one of those foods that you first learn how to cook when you begin “adulting.” There was a time in my life where I specialized in spaghetti, ground beef tacos and sandwiches with not much else in my recipe box. That’s why trying new ingredients and techniques in a dish you are already familiar with can really help you expand your skills in the kitchen.
Even if you have your go-to spaghetti dish and are not looking to change it, maybe try this and treat it like a whole new dish. This can be your “veggie-packed spaghetti” recipe, or you can try it over spaghetti squash instead of regular pasta. The spicy sausage and slow simmered vegetables really make this a filling, cozy dish.
Also, I call this James’ spaghetti because he introduced me to making it this way. He has introduced me to so many new foods and recipes. He is my biggest supporter when it comes to trying new things and challenging myself with intimidating recipes. He serves as my sous chef, chopping all my meats and veggies, and as my quality control, trying everything I cook (I think he may not mind this part too much). I don’t know if I would have even started this newsletter without having him by my side cheering me on.
If you know me, you know I hate being sappy, so I will stop talking about James and move on to the real star of the show, garlic bread.
Best EVER Garlic Bread
Ingredients:
1 loaf of Italian bread or a French baguette
1 stick salted butter, softened
3 chopped cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon parsley
Flakey sea salt
Instructions:
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
Slice your bread in half
Add your softened butter, garlic, garlic powder and Italian seasoning in a bowl.
Spread onto each half of the bread.
Add to the oven for 4 minutes.
Here’s the trick: Next, flip your bread so it is butter-side down and cook for another 4 minutes.
Flip it back over and cook again until the top starts to develop that nice, golden brown color. This usually only takes about 4 or 5 more minutes.
Top with chopped parsley and flakey sea salt before slicing and serving.
Story Time:
I don’t know that there is much of a story time for this other than loving good bread. I used to love the garlic bread from Pasta House when I worked there. Favazzah’s on the Hill in St. Louis serves garlic bread that is practically dripping in garlic butter. My recipe is not quite to that level, but it definitely feels more indulgent than the frozen stuff (although we always have those frozen Texas Toast pieces at our house too. They also rock!).
Life is too short to skip the bread.
The boys say they hope you all are having a fun Passover/Easter weekend if you celebrate. JD specifically says to stay cozy and bundled up if you are dealing with this gross Missouri weather.
