Dinner Is Served: Spaghetti

There are lots of spaghetti recipes out there that are so delicious, but I thought to myself that I wanted to make my own kind of spaghetti that I can put whatever ingredients I want in it and add special touches to it.

Yes, I know that my spaghetti is pretty basic and along the lines of red sauce, some spaghetti pasta, and tomatoes here and there. But I figured it's more fun making a spaghetti that you can memorize the recipe and just throw it together in no time! So here it is, my very own recipe...

Ingredients:

1 package of ground beef
1 can of diced tomatoes
1 or two cans of tomato sauce (depending on how much sauce you want to make)
5 portobello mushrooms (if you're a mushroom addict like me then you might want a little more)
3-5 garlic cloves (we LOVE garlic over here)
2 fresh whole tomatoes
1 yellow onion
about 15 basil leaves
salt and pepper for tasting

*Like I said, I'm ALL about the mushrooms, and using portobello mushrooms for this dish makes it so unique and adds a different flavor than your ordinary spaghetti.

Directions:

1. Cook ground beef in a skillet or sauté pan with a dash of olive oil. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Separate ground beef as it's cooking into small pieces (pea-like size). Once ground beef is cooked all the way through set it aside in a bowl.

2. You're going to want to dice your yellow onion, tomatoes, and cut mushrooms as desired (I like mine how they are in the photo above). You can add a little more olive oil to the pan if need be. Once diced, throw onion, tomatoes, and portobello mushrooms into the same pan as you just cooked your ground beef in. If you have a magical garlic crusher like this ONE, then use it! Add garlic to the pan and let the aroma begin! Season with about a teaspoon of salt and a pinch of pepper. Stir on occasion.

3. Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a roaring boil. Once boiling add your pasta and turn the heat down to a low boil. I like to use spaghetti pasta as it's only appropriate to use for this recipe!

4. Once your sauté pan has cooked the tomatoes, onions, and mushrooms (about 10 min or so), then add your 1 or 2 cans of tomato sauce, 1 can of diced tomatoes, and the ground beef you cooked earlier. Cover with a lid and let all the juices and flavors marinate. You can turn down the heat to a simmer or lower at this point.

5. When your spaghetti or pasta of choice is al a dente, strain and then add to the pot of spaghetti sauce. Mix well and taste to see if your dish needs more salt or pepper. Chop the basil leaves and add to the sauce.

You can keep the heat on low until ready to be served or you can serve right away. I like to stop by the local bakery in the city and pick up a fresh loaf to serve with this yummy dish.

Enjoy!