Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram Of course it devolved into a classic knock-down-drag-out food fight: fistfuls of Pighetti flying all over the kitchen and smashed into hair and faces. (probably while Beastie Boys “Sabotage” played in the background. It was the 90s, after all.) I checked in with my mom about this old story, because I was pretty young when it happened and fuzzy on the details. I’m sitting here, kind of mourning the fact that I will never be as cool as my mom was, to let something so memorable (but SO MESSY) happen on my watch, but she just clarified on our group text: “I come home from my college night class, and I see one of the kids in the front yard with his head under the hose, rinsing his hair, and it’s February. Mom-alarm-bells started ringing!” Ah, okay, so I’m not a terribly boring mother: she wasn’t even there. Of course. Spaghetti (the normal kind, not Pighetti) was a weekly meal around our house growing up. I hated it. Sorry to throw you under the bus here Mom, but ground beef mixed with a cheap jar of marinara, tossed in the pot with some overcooked spaghetti noodles was just not doin it for me. (7-year-old me was super judgy, guys.) No judgment now, though; no judgment to any mom who’s trying to get dinner done. (I’m the youngest of five and like I mentioned before, my mom was working on her degree when I was growing up. Props to getting anything on the table that was not frozen pizza!) I’ve found a few easy tricks to take my most-hated childhood meal into something truly amazing, a dinner that everyone in the family looks forward too, including yours truly. This recipe is SO much better than the mixed-up-in-the-pot version. And yes, we are starting with a jar of marinara from the store. I’ve got another completely from-scratch spaghetti sauce recipe (also known as “Bolognese Sauce,”) comin at you next week. (update: it’s live!) But for now: the weeknight version. It will stop you in your tracks!
Use an onion. I know, I know, by definition chopping an onion is hard and makes you cry (I would know. ALL THE TEARS, EVERY TIME.) But it amps up your flavor so much that I just can’t skip it. If you really don’t have time, use a bunch of minced onion from your spice cabinet. (Like, at least 1/4 cup. Toast them lightly in the olive oil and continue with the recipe.) Garlic is a must. Fresh is best, of course, but I cheat on this all the time with good results. The jar of garlic sitting in your fridge will do just fine. Use a bunch. Like a couple tablespoons. You must add spices. Those jars of spaghetti sauce sold at the store are made for the wimpiest of wimps when it comes to flavor. Italian seasoning covers almost all our bases here, but also crushed red pepper, black pepper, and of course salt. The reason I like to start with a jar of marinara sauce instead of a can of whole or diced tomatoes is because the jar of sauce is already cooked down. It is thicker and infused with levels of flavor, unlike a can of naked, watery tomatoes. We can turn naked watery tomatoes into something fantastic, (just wait to you try my Bolognese Sauce you guys!!) but it takes a little time and TLC. But this is a Tuesday night recipe, people! Soccer practice is in 45 minutes! Grab that jar of spaghetti sauce, go go go!! Italian sausage is so much better than simple ground beef for a quick sauce. It is made from pork, which is nice and fatty, providing tons of flavor. Plus it is already seasoned with Italian flavors, so it packs a double punch. A tip from my mother-in-law Kris: For even more added flavor, once your sauce is simmering, search your fridge to see if you have any briny condiments you could add: green olives, Kalamata olives, pepperoncinis, pimientos, etc. This is her best tip for bringing in tons of flavor with almost no effort. More on this in the how-to section below!
But chopping garlic is pretty quick. Here’s how I do it. I hate garlic presses, I feel like they don’t work as well as a knife. Just crush with the side, peel, and chop. If seeing pictures of pressing and chopping garlic is stressing you out, turn away. Shield thine eyes. Grab a jar of minced garlic from your fridge and call it good. The one that’s harder to fake is an onion. But I can usually handle it as long as I have my trusty goggles. I’ll spare you the photo of them on my face and the raccoon eyes I have for an hour afterward. Goggles really do help with the tears! Make sure they seal to your face. Heat up some olive oil and sauté your onions for a few minutes. Add in the spices now so they have time to get all toasty before adding in the liquid. Sautéing in oil is a great trick to bring out the flavor of dried herbs. Add in your garlic for a minute, then your Italian sausage. I like to use mild Italian sausage, which has a little heat to it but not too much. You could also use Sweet Italian sausage, it has nothing spicy but instead sweet basil added to it. Break up the sausage and cook fully. At this point you can take a minute to drain if it’s looking really fatty. I usually don’t bother if it’s just a little bit. Fat=flavor, sing it with me now! Now it’s time to add in our sauce. I love using Rao’s Marinara, but really any brand will do because we’re doctoring it up so much. We are also adding in a 15-ounce can of crushed tomatoes, or petite diced tomatoes will do if you can’t find that size can. (It’s hard to find a 15-ounce can of crushed tomatoes, and that’s weird y’all. What is with you, tomato industry?? Why can’t you provide me with every possible tomato iteration in every possible size?) Add about a cup of water to your spaghetti sauce jar to clean it out, then add it to the sauce. Add in a bit of balsamic vinegar and some Better Than Bouillon Beef Base to amp up that beefy flavor (since we are using sausage made of pork). I love Better Than Bouillon, it is my secret flavor amplifier for so many recipes! At this point, do a fridge rummage if you like. This tip is from my mother-in-law Kris, who is a fantastic and intuitive cook. When she makes any spaghetti sauce recipe, she always goes through the condiments in her fridge to see if she can add something for more flavor. Anything briny or Italian-ish:
Kalamata olives Green olives Anchovies Pepperoncinis, or any pickled pepper (Roasted red pepper would be good)
There is no need to open a new jar of anything. But if you have something already in your fridge, it can be a fun add-in, even on top of the balsamic called for in the recipe (though you could also replace it).
Kris likes to add a little bit of the vinegary brine (somewhere between 2-4 tablespoons) and maybe also a bit of chopped up whatever-it-is. A few tablespoons chopped up green olives (don’t use black olives, they’re not vinegary enough), chopped anchovies, chopped pimientos, etc. This adds a fun twist and extra flavor! Try it out, it’s so good.
Once you have all the ingredients in, it’s up to you how long you want to simmer. 10 minutes is fine, 20 minutes it better, an hour is best but I rarely do this. The longer you simmer, the more flavorful it will be. If you are simmering a long time, be sure to add a bit more water every half hour or so, to keep it from getting too thick.
Once your pasta is cooked, it’s time for an important decision: to pre-sauce the noodles, or not to pre-sauce the noodles?
Anyway, sauced, or un-sauced, only you can make this pivotal decision. If you don’t mix it together, be sure to drizzle the noodles with olive oil so the pasta doesn’t stick to itself.
(“He don’t eat no meat?? That’s okay, I make you lamb.” Name that movie!!)
Spaghetti sauce with noodles, The Best Garlic Bread of Your Life made from One Hour French Bread (or an Italian loaf from the store), and a Caesar salad. I’m legit obsessed with the Caesar salad kit from Costco, have you tried it? It’s amazing. Salad kits are my favorite way to speed up dinner time! Any green salad would go great with this meal though, you need something light and fresh and green and crunchy as a foil to all those carbs. Apple Gorgonzola Salad would be perfect, or this Green Salad with Feta and Beets.
This is my favorite combo for a meal that is easy, brainless, and that anyone with a heartbeat absolutely LOVES. Here are some other things to serve with your spaghetti:
Zucchini Noodles (Without a Spiralizer) » a perfect low calorie, low carb alternative to pasta. Eric and I do this all the time, zoodles for us, real noodles for the kids. Olive Garden Style Breadsticks » This makes any pasta meal 100x better in my opinion Garlic and Rosemary Skillet Bread » basically a deep dish garlic bread, it’s amazing! Restaurant-Style Olive Oil and Balsamic Bread Dip » a quintessential Italian appetizer Avocado and Grapefruit Salad » perfect combo of unique flavors, change it up! Oven Roasted Asparagus with Balsamic Browned Butter » my FAVORITE way to eat asparagus Broccoli with Feta and Fried Almonds » this recipe cured my dislike of broccoli, no joke Copycat Olive Garden Salad from Good Life Eats Lemon Herb Marinated Grilled Vegetables from Savory Nothings
Spaghetti will last in the refrigerator for 4-6 days. To serve, warm in a saucepan over medium heat until hot, adding a little water if it is thick. You can also warm it up in the microwave, but be sure to use a cover so you don’t end up with Mt. Vesuvius 2.0. To use after freezing, put the ziplock bag into the refrigerator and let thaw overnight. Once it’s no longer frozen, add to a saucepan and warm over medium heat, or microwave it with a cover. OR tempt fate, toss the whole thing into the pan frozen (cut the ziplock), add some water so it doesn’t scorch, and cook on medium low until it’s hot :) who has time to thaw??
