Okay. This is how much I always loved spaghetti. I learned how to spell it.
Yes, I knew early in life there was an "h" in the "ghet" of "spaghetti". Mother knew not to ask me what I wanted for supper, or lunch, or breakfast, for that matter. She was probably the laundry queen when it came to removing tomato stains from pinafores.
Mother did not follow a recipe when making her sauce. She would start by sauteing equal amounts of chopped white onion and green pepper in either corn oil or bacon grease until tender. To this she would add a pound of ground beef, breaking up and cooking until brown. This was before the days of draining the fat, though she probably did spoon some off into the emptied two 8 ounce cans of tomato sauce which were next in the list of ingredients. Tomato sauce added, then a good sprinkling of garlic powder and oregano (maybe 1/2 tsp. each), and salt and pepper to taste. Actually, the oregano came along later, as it began appearing in ladies' magazine recipes as key to good Italian sauces. I think initially our sauce had only garlic powder, salt and pepper. This meat sauce was served up in a bowl, alongside a steaming bowl of 12 minute variety spaghetti and a plate of shredded cheddar. Always good. Every time. My kitchen uses much less meat these days, fresh garlic, olive oil, 4 minute spaghetti, freshly grated Parmesan cheese, and lately we're leaning toward meatballs (!). Who ever would have thought?
Pictured is a combination of Mother's and my latest "go to" recipe, having added green peppers to my sauce.
