Cooking Lesson #502: Freaky Friday One-Pot Spaghetti

…from the Perspectives’ Kitchen

How you doin’? Yes, I know it’s Wednesday, but this one is for busy Friday dinners, so you need to plan ahead. Besides, Fridays are for Happy Hour cocktails!
 
I hate cleaning up dirty pot and pans! Don’t get me wrong, I don’t believe it’s beneath my dignity—I just hate it. If you’re dirtying separate pots for boiling noodles and making sauce, then I’ve got a hack that will surprise you.
 
Spaghetti is an easy meal that almost everybody loves to eat. No two people make it exactly the same way. Start with sauces… traditional Italian red sauces range from those made with fresh-picked tomatoes slowly simmered for days, to Southern sauces made with a pinch of white sugar that can be whipped up in 30 minutes. Many people use a good quality jarred sauce (I refer Rao’s). As you can see, spaghetti recipes are as varied as the cooks who make them.
 
Next time you set out to make your favorite spaghetti recipe, think of me and a clean kitchen… my hack will help you generate fewer dirty dishes and less mess. This gives you the opportunity to spend more time with people you love. Best of all you won’t suffer from after dinner dirty dish dread, and you can enjoy the great aftertaste of a delicious spaghetti meal.
 
For those of you who grew up attached to your mother’s apron strings this is going to sounds a little freaky but, trust me, it really works! This original hack is to cook your noodles directly in your sauce—yes, that’s what I said--DIRECTLY IN THE SAUCE! By adding the uncooked spaghetti (or noodles) and some extra liquid into the sauce, you end up with a simple and delicious meal made in just one pot—yes, ONE POT.
 
It's important to make sure there's enough extra liquid added to your sauce so the spaghetti cooks properly and gets completely rehydrated. Not enough, and you'll have crunchy spaghetti. Too much, and you'll end up with mushy spaghetti stew.
 
Below is my Freaky Friday One-Pot Spaghetti recipe that you can chef up to be all your own. You can also make your usual recipe, just be sure to add in three to four cups of extra liquid (water or wine), as directed below, to ensure your spaghetti comes our perfectly every time. Give my hack a try and you won't have to dread doing the dishes on Freaky Fridays.
 
Prep time:  5 minutes
Cook time:  45 minutes
Yield:  4-6 servings
 
Ingredients 
1-pound lean ground beef, veal, pork or Italian sausage
1 jar store-bought marinara sauce
4 cups broth (chicken, beef or vegetable), divided
1 cup chopped fresh basil
1 clove finely chopped garlic
Pinch of salt and pepper
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup water or wine
1-pound thin dry spaghetti
 
Directions 

1. In a large Dutch oven or soup pot, brown one pound of lean ground beef (you can do a mix of beef, veal, pork or even some Italian sausage) on medium-high heat until cooked through.
2. Drain and discard any excess grease.
3. Add the meat back to your pot.
4. Lower the heat to medium-low, and add 1 jar of store-bought marinara, 1 cup of chicken, beef or vegetable broth, 1 cup of chopped fresh basil, 1 clove of finely chopped garlic, a pinch of salt and pepper, 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes and a 2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese.
5. Cover and cook on medium-low for 15 minutes, stirring once to keep the cheese  from sticking.
6. After the 15 minutes of cooking, add 3 more cups of chicken or beef broth and 1/2 cup of water or wine (or cream if you like a creamy sauce) to your sauce, and stir to combine.
7. Add 1 pound of thin spaghetti which has been broken in half and raise the heat to medium-high. The broken spaghetti allows the pasta to get fully submerged in the sauce.
8. Bring the sauce to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low or medium-low for 15 minutes, stirring once or twice to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom of the pot.
9. After 15 minutes, check that your noodles are done, and serve at once.

ChefSecret:  You can store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a couple of days. Add about 1/4 cup of water before reheating in a microwave.

Quip of the Day: “The hack for properly washing dirty pots and pans—place dirty pots in hot, soapy water—tell yourself they need to soak—go watch television (they’ll still be there in the morning).”
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Do you have a question or comment? Send your thoughts to ed@perspectives-la.com. All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide.
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To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, be positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind.

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