Yet another spaghetti recipe
Now, you should know by now that I am spaghetti-obsessed, and adherence to Italian tradition is not my primary concern. I've been refining my favorite spaghetti recipe for years, and yesterday I made one that I really, really liked. And then I accidentally knocked the leftovers out of the fridge and spilled it all over the floor. C'est ma vie.
Recipe:
1 lb very lean ground beef (I like Laura's Organic 94% lean)
1 shallot, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 good squirt (1 tsp ish) anchovy paste
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes
2 small (I think about 8 oz?) cans tomato sauce
1 small (i think 6 oz?) can tomato paste
1 cup assorted pitted olives, chopped (I used kalamata in brine, pruny oil-cured, garlic marinated green olives, and red pepper marinated green olives)
1 tsp capers, unrinsed
About 1 tsp each of the following:
Freeze-dried basil
Freeze-dried parsley
Italian seasoning
Oregano
2 dried Bay leaves
Pinch of cayenne
Salt and Pepper
In a heavy pan on medium heat, brown the shallots in a little olive oil. Add a little salt to help them sweat. Add garlic and anchovy paste and stir til anchovy paste kind of melts. Add beef and brown with a little salt. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, and tomato paste and seasonings. Cook about five minutes, stirring often. Add chopped olives and capers and cover. Simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. I check and stir about every 5 minutes to make sure it's not sticking and to smell it. I usually let it cook for 20 and then start worrying with the pasta, filling up the pot, etc. so the sauce can really all simmer together for about 30-40 minutes total. The longer all the ingredients are all in there together, the better. :P
Serve over penne pasta w/freshly grated Parmesan cheese. (I like penne b/c it's good for thick sauces.)
Recipe:
1 lb very lean ground beef (I like Laura's Organic 94% lean)
1 shallot, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 good squirt (1 tsp ish) anchovy paste
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes
2 small (I think about 8 oz?) cans tomato sauce
1 small (i think 6 oz?) can tomato paste
1 cup assorted pitted olives, chopped (I used kalamata in brine, pruny oil-cured, garlic marinated green olives, and red pepper marinated green olives)
1 tsp capers, unrinsed
About 1 tsp each of the following:
Freeze-dried basil
Freeze-dried parsley
Italian seasoning
Oregano
2 dried Bay leaves
Pinch of cayenne
Salt and Pepper
In a heavy pan on medium heat, brown the shallots in a little olive oil. Add a little salt to help them sweat. Add garlic and anchovy paste and stir til anchovy paste kind of melts. Add beef and brown with a little salt. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, and tomato paste and seasonings. Cook about five minutes, stirring often. Add chopped olives and capers and cover. Simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. I check and stir about every 5 minutes to make sure it's not sticking and to smell it. I usually let it cook for 20 and then start worrying with the pasta, filling up the pot, etc. so the sauce can really all simmer together for about 30-40 minutes total. The longer all the ingredients are all in there together, the better. :P
Serve over penne pasta w/freshly grated Parmesan cheese. (I like penne b/c it's good for thick sauces.)