Best one pot Spaghetti Sauce

24 Jan

Spaghetti is one of those meals that brings in a flood of memories. In my family it was a meal the entire family looked forward to. As a kid I loved the slurping and spinning of the noodles, and now as a mother I love the simplicity of throwing it together, watching my girls enjoy the same noodle fun, maybe recreating a dramatic Lady in the Tramp like slurp. It was one of the first meals I learned to make on my own, so it seems fitting a version of that recipe should find a home on my first blog post.

I still remember standing in the kitchen with my mom as she pulled down each seasoning and herb from the overcrowded spice cabinet. There was a time she used ready-made meat sauce that was already seasoned. Not anymore. That ended abruptly after popping open a jar only to find a clump of rat hair nestled in the sauce. Needless to say, she preferred making her own sauce after that. this was a dish I felt proud I was able to make. I wasn't simply boiling noodles and dumping on a can of sauce, I was sprinklings, and tasting, and stirring, and creating. I loved it.

As traditions have a way in a family, my girls share the same sauce making experience with their late great grandmother. So now, when it's time for our weekly spaghetti night, there's usually some form of arguing over who will be making the sauce.

The version I'm sharing with you here is for those, throw it together quick, didn't plan ahead, meats still frozen, kind of nights (you get it.). Would it be better if we used fresh garlic & onion, and browned our meat? Of course it would, but this is real life and motherhood, we don't always have time for that level of perfection. Don't worry, it's still good enough to make some memories in the kitchen and around the table. It's a little mixture of my mom, my grandma, and few things I've added myself over the years.

I hope you enjoy!

One Pot Spaghetti Sauce

Yield: 4 to 6

• 1 lb. ground beef

• 1 quart (or 28 oz can) crushed tomatoes

• 1 can tomato paste

• 1/8 cup balsamic vinegar

• generous drizzle of olive oil

• 1 tsp garlic powder, onion power, Italian seasoning

• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

• 1 bay leaf (whoever finds it in their bowl receives good luck the next day. so says my daughters)

• salt and pepper to taste

• 1 box spaghetti pasta

Instructions:

1. add everything except your noodles to a pot, cover and let cook on medium heat about 15 minutes.

2. while sauce is cooking, bring another pan of water to a boil to cook your pasta.

3. After 15 or so, check your sauce. break apart the meat and give everything a stir. adjust your seasonings if needed.

4. Once pasta has finished cooking (use a fork to grab a single noodle for a taste test) drain and add in with meat sauce.

5. Mix thoroughly and serve

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