Saucepan Spaghetti

From: Better Homes and Gardens Junior cookbook

Ingredients:
1 pound bulk pork sausage or ground beef (I used venison)
3 1/2 cups water
1 15-oz can tomato sauce
1 Tbsp minced dried onion
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dried oregano, crushed
1 tsp worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp sugar (I used a pack of Sweet 'N' Low)
1/2 tsp dried basil, crushed
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp pepper
6 ounces spaghetti (I used just over 7 ounces)
4 ounces of shredded cheddar cheese 

Break up meat in a 3-quart saucepan. Put pan on burner. Turn burner to medium-high heat. Cook and stir meat until there is no pink. Turn off burner and drain the fat.

Stir water, tomato sauce, onion, salt, oregano, worcestershire sauce, sugar, basil, garlic powder and pepper into the pan. Put pan on burner and turn to high heat.

When the mixture boils, break spaghetti into pieces and add them to the sauce. Turn the burner to low heat. Put lid on pan and simmer for 30 minutes. Stir often.

When spaghetti is done, turn off burner. Remove pan from burner. Add the cheese and stir until it melts. Serve immediately.

Verdict:
Thumbs up! This was one of my FAVORITE recipes that my mom made when I was growing up. I was so happy when she hunted down the recipe for me to make a few nights ago! It was a huge hit and I am definitely going to be making it again. It's so easy to throw together and I LOVE one-pot recipes. Love it!

Tilapia Pasta

From: Better Homes and Gardens magazine

Ingredients:
8 oz dried linguine
12 oz fresh or frzoen tilapia fillets, thawed if frozen
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 fennel bulb, trimmed, cored and chopped
6 cloves garlic, minded
1 Tbsp capers
1 tsp dried Italian seasoning
1 14-oz can diced tomatoes (undrained)
1 8-oz can tomato sauce
1 Tbsp snipped fresh Italian parsley

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup cooking water. Set pasta and water aside.

Season fish with 1/8 tsp salt and pepper. In a large skillet heat one tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Add tilapia, cook about 6 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Remove; set aside.

Add remaining oil to skillet. Add onion and fennel. Cook and stir 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in garlic, capers, and Italian seasoning; cook and stir 1 minute more. Stir in undrained tomatoes, tomato sauce and reserved pasta water. Bring to boiling. Boil gently, uncovered, 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.

Stir in pasta and fish, breaking up fish slightly. Sprinkle with parsley.

Verdict:
Thumbs up! I actually love tilapia because it doesn't have that "fishy" flavor that so many fish have. I also love pasta and pasta sauce, so I knew this was going to be a winner. I left out the fennel and capers and it still had a great flavor.

Tagliarini with Garlic Sauce

From: Sunset Pasta cook book

Ingredients:
8 oz tagliarini
2 large tomatoes or 1 can (1 lb) Italian-style tomatoes
1/4 cup water
1 tsp dry basil
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper and crushed red pepper
1/3 cup olive oil
6 large cloves garlic, minced or pressed

Peel, seed, and coarsely chop tomatoes. If using canned tomatoes, break up with a spoon. In a bowl, combine tomatoes, water (omit if using canned tomatoes), basil, salt, black pepper, and red pepper; reserve.

Place olive oil and garlic in a 1-quart pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, over medium-low heat until oil bubbles gently and garlic is a light gold. Add tomato mixture to pan and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.

Cook noodles in a large kettle of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain noodles, then place in a serving bowl. Pour sauce over noodles, toss gently, then serve. Pass Parmesan cheese at the table.

Verdict:
Well, I enjoyed this, but it definitely is not my favorite sauce recipe. I never thought I would say there is too much garlic in a recipe, but I thought that about this recipe! I also don't like the amount of oil that was added. If I were going to make this again I would put half as much olive oil, and 3-4 cloves of garlic instead of 6. I really do think that would make a huge difference in the flavor of this pasta. It was just a little too tangy for me!

Basic Marinara Sauce

From: Cooking Light

Ingredients:
3 Tbsp olive oil
3 cups chopped yellow onion (about 3 medium)
1 Tbsp sugar
3 Tbsp minced garlic
2 tsp salt
2 tsp dried basil
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp fennel seeds, crushed
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 cups chicken broth
3 28-ounce cans crushed tomatoes

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion to pan; cook 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add sugar and next 7 ingredients (through fennel); cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in vinegar; cook 30 seconds. Add broth and tomatoes; bring to a simmer. Cook over low heat for 55 minutes or until sauce thickens, stirring occasionally.

Verdict:
Thumbs up! This was a yummy spaghetti sauce that made enough for our family one night and I was able to freeze two quart-size bags for the future. I also added ground venison to it, because who doesn't love a meaty spaghetti sauce!? By the way, this was not my favorite sauce to date. I have had sauces I like more but this was a great one!

Mamma Mia Pasta

From: Southern Living 1995 Annual cookbook

Ingredients:
6 oz rotelle pasta, uncooked
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 tsp olive oil
1 14 oz can whole tomatoes, undrained and chopped
1 Tbsp tomato paste
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain pasta and set aside. Cook garlic and onion in olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until tender. Add tomatoes and next 6 ingredients; cook 5 minutes. Add Parmesan and 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese, stirring until cheese melts. Pour over cooked pasta. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese.

Verdict:
Thumbs up!! Honestly this was such a yummy sauce. It was perfect for me because only myself and my son eat spaghetti sauce - my hubby and daughter like their noodles with just butter and mozzarella cheese! I probably would double this recipe the next time I make it, because I didn't have any leftover. Other than that I wouldn't change a thing. Delicious! And I was able to use fresh tomatoes from the farmer's market instead of canned - I just added about 1/4 cup of water to make it into a sauce.

Spaghetti with Eggplant, Tomatoes and Mozzarella

From: The "Pasta" Food and Wine Cookbook

Ingredients:
1 large eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 cup olive oil
3/4 tsp salt
black pepper
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 lbs tomatoes, about 4, peeled, seeded and chopped
3/4 lb spaghetti
3 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
1/2 lb fresh mozzarella, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Toss the eggplant with 2 Tbsp of the oil, 1/4 tsp of the salt, and a pinch of pepper. Spread the eggplant out on a baking sheet. Roast, stirring occasionally, until tender and brown, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 Tbsp oil in a large frying pan over moderate heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook 1 minute more.

Add the tomatoes, the remaining 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Increase the heat to high and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened, about 10 minutes.

In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the spaghetti until just done, about 12 minutes. Drain. Toss the pasta with the eggplant, tomato sauce, basil and mozzarella and serve at once.

What I did differently from the recipe:
I, unfortunately, do not keep fresh mozzarella on hand (and couldn't afford to purchase it just for this one recipe), so I used shredded. Trust me - it was marvelous anyway.

What I'll do differently next time:
I halved the recipe because our whole family is not a fan of sauces on spaghetti. Next time I will not cut the recipe in half. It was so good, I wish I had leftovers!

Verdict:
Thumbs up! Great new way to use eggplant (I tend to always make eggplant parmesan or baked eggplant chips) and a great way to dress up spaghetti. Absolutely delicious and I would definitely make this again in the future!  

Penne Alla Vodka

From: Good Housekeeping

Ingredients:
3/4 cup half and half
1 tsp cornstarch
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
28 oz diced tomatoes
Pepper
1/4 cup vodka
1 lb penne pasta
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Heat large covered saucepot of water to boiling on high. In 1-cup measure, combine half-and-half and cornstarch. In 12-inch skillet, heat oil on medium until hot. Add onion and cook 6 to 8 minutes or until lightly browned and tender, stirring frequently. Add garlic and red pepper and cook 1 to 2 minutes longer, stirring. Add tomatoes with their juice and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, and heat to simmering; cook 4 to 5 minutes or until some liquid evaporates. Add vodka and continue to simmer 7 to 8 minutes or until slightly thickened. Meanwhile, cook pasta as label directs. Drain and return to pot. To half-and-half mixture in cup, add 1/4 cup tomato mixture and stir to combine; pour into skillet. Heat sauce to boiling on medium-high. Cook 2 minutes longer, stirring occasionally. Remove vodka sauce from heat; stir in Parmesan. Add vodka sauce to pasta in pot; stir to combine. Spoon pasta into shallow bowls; sprinkle with additional Parmesan. Serve with crusty bread, if you like.

What I did differently from the recipe:
I only used a 15-oz can of diced tomatoes and I felt like it was perfect.

What I'll do differently next time:
Nothing.

Verdict:
Thumbs up!! Well, I knew Stephen wouldn't like this (he wouldn't even try it!) because of the tomatoes. But the kids and I all loved it, and what a simple recipe! The flavor was so good and it was a nice change from plain old pasta. I will definitely be making this again in the future!   

Super Simple Spaghetti Sauce

From: An old recipe newsletter I used to receive by email

Ingredients:
1 lb hamburger
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/4 tsp of grated sea salt
1 tsp of sugar
2 tsp Italian spice blend
2 15 oz cans diced tomatoes or 4 cups of fresh tomatoes chopped
1 6 oz can tomato paste
1 cup water or red wine
1 10 oz package spaghetti, cooked

In a soup pot or large saute pan add the oil, hamburger and onion on medium heat. Brown the burger and cook the onion. Break meat into bite-size chunks as it cooks. After meat is cooked add the garlic and stir. Add the salt, sugar, spices, tomatoes and tomato paste with one cup of water or wine. Heat until boiling and then turn it down to a simmer. Cook for about 45 minutes to an hour, stirring occasionally to make sure sauce isn't sticking to the pan. If the sauce is getting too thick for your taste you can add some more water. When ready to serve, drain the cooked spaghetti. Put the noodles on a plate and top with sauce.

What I did differently from the recipe:
I felt like the sauce was good, but not enough flavor, so as it simmered I added more sugar (probably put closer to a tablespoon of sugar in there by the end), and I also added a bit more sea salt, some basil, some oregano and a bay leaf. I used tomatoes that I had canned last year which I think was close to 4 cups but I'm not sure.

What I'll do differently next time:
Not sure.

Verdict:
Thumbs up! Oh, this was delicious! I do feel like there is something else I could do to add more spice to this recipe but I'm not sure what. I would be perfectly content eating this again as is, but if I could get more of "something" to this sauce it would just add icing to the cake, so to speak! Any thoughts??