Comfort Foods: Spaghetti and Meat Sauce

Anthony is half Italian, half Chinese, and we've always joked that I'm part Italian as well because when I first started cooking that's all I made. I've since branched out, but I still stock five different types of pasta in our pantry and I still have a big crush on Giada De Laurentiis. Naturally, when I think of comfort foods, I think of a heaping plate of spaghetti and meat sauce. I love that everyone has their own way of making spaghetti - cooking should be personal! Today I'm presenting my recipe. I should mention that my recipe changes slightly each time I make this, depending on my mood. However, this recipe is always the foundation that I begin with, before I add any variations. Using hot Italian sausage instead of ground beef adds a ton of flavor, and using crushed red pepper adds a nice amount of heat. Mangia bene! 

Well isn't that a fancy shmancy plate of spaghetti? (I got a little carried away.)

Spaghetti and Meat Sauce
(source: Tiffany Trinh, The Happy Muffin)

• 1 pound spaghetti
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pound hot (spicy) Italian sausage, casings removed
• 2 (28-ounce) jars of your favorite homemade or store-bought marinara sauce (I use Prego Fresh Mushroom)
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/8 plus 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• Pinch of sugar
• 2 bay leaves
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup flat-leaf Italian parsley, chopped   
• Grated Parmesan

ONE: Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and saute until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Add the sausage (casings removed) and brown, breaking apart the meat as it cooks. Add 1/8 teaspoon of the crushed red pepper and saute until fragrant, about a minute.

TWO: Carefully add the marinara sauce and reduce the heat to medium-low. Add Italian seasoning, remaining 1/4 teaspoon of crushed red pepper, pinch of sugar, bay leaves, and salt and pepper to taste. Remember to taste frequently during this stage to ensure it's perfectly seasoned. In my opinion, you're going to want the sauce to taste a bit more savory because you're going to be ladling it over a lot of pasta - just keep that in mind. Reduce heat to a low simmer and cover. Simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

THREE: Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the spaghetti noodles and cook according to package instructions. Drain well.

FOUR: Just before serving, remove the bay leaves and stir the parsley into the meat sauce. Ladle the sauce over individual bowls of pasta and serve with Parmesan. Enjoy!

Printable version!