Spaghetti and Sauces
Allow 2 lbs of spaghetti for 6 people. About 10 minutes before time to serve, have boiling 8 quarts of water with 2 tsp salt and 3 Tbsp olive oil. Cook spaghetti according to package directions or until just tender to bite; drain well at once, then pour into a serving container with a tight-fitting lid. Blend spaghetti with 6 Tbsp melted butter, cover, and keep warm as long as 1 hour on an electric warming tray or in a warm oven. Serve with your favorite sauce.
Meat Sauce:
Have butcher grind together twice 1 lb round or chuck steak, 1/2 lb veal, and 1/2 pound pork. Saute 1 clove garlic in 2 Tbsp olive oil. When garlic browns, remove and add 1 medium onion minced and cooked until tender. Add meat to onions and cook until meat is brown, but still slightly pink. Add 1 can tomato paste and cook 15 minutes. Add 1 large can solid pack tomatoes, 1 can tomato puree, 1 tsp sweet basil, 1 tsp oregano, 1 bay leaf, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp sugar, 1/4 cup red wine (optional), and 1 can button mushrooms. Cook together, uncovered, until sauce thickens, about 1½-2 hours. Salt to taste.
Spaghetti Sauce and Meatballs:
In large 10-quart pot, put in 2 large cans of tomato puree OR 2 cans whole Pomodori tomatoes. Add 4-6 cans of tomato paste, add 2-2½ quarts water and 3-4 crushed garlic cloves. Add 1 Tbsp oregano, 2-3 Tbsp bottled Italian seasoning, 1-2 Tbsp anise seed, ½ Tbsp fennel, 1-2 bay leaves, 1 tsp red pepper, pinch of ajinomoto, pinch of baking soda to remove tart tomato taste, salt to taste.
While sauce is coming to a boil, brown a couple of pork chops and chicken thighs in olive oil and add these along with soup bone to the sauce. Simmer over low heat in covered pot 3-4 hours until the sauce is reduced to 2/3 of the pot. Stir often. Adjust to your taste. This is enough sauce for 2-3 meals. Freeze what you don’t use. Sauce gets better with age.
Combine 2-3 lbs hamburger with 2 eggs (for each pound of meat), 1/2 to 2/3 cup package bread crumbs, 1 whole onion, chopped, 1/2 cup freshly grated Romano cheese, 1 tsp each salt and pepper. Form into balls and brown lightly in olive oil before adding to sauce.
Carbonara Sauce:
Remove casing from 1/4 lb Italian sausage and crumble or chop coarsely. Finely chop 1/4 lb thinly sliced prosciutto (Italian-style ham) or cooked ham. Combine sausage and half of the ham with 2 Tbsp butter in a saucepan (3-qt size); cook on medium low heat, stirring, for about 10 minutes or until sausage is lightly browned and ham is frazzled looking. Blend remaining half of ham with cooked sausage and ham mixture and take to table. Have at the table in separate containers 2 Tbsp soft butter, 1/2 cup minced parsley, 3 well beaten eggs, about 1/2 cup freshly grated or shredded Parmesan cheese, and pepper mill. Take about 1/4 of the hot spaghetti and add to meat in saucepan; add butter and parsley and mix quickly to blend. Pour in the eggs at once and continue quickly lifting and mixing spaghetti to coat well with egg. Sprinkle in the cheese and dash of freshly ground pepper and mix again. Serve at once, passing more grated parmesan cheese to add to each serving.
Meatballs in Marinara Sauce:
Remove casings from 1/4 lb Italian sausage and crumble or chop; brown lightly in saucepan; add 2 cans (1 lb each) marinara sauce and 1 cup water. Heat to simmering. Shape 2 lbs lean ground beef, 1/3 cup water or broth, 1 tsp each salt and oregano, 1 egg and 1/4 cup flour into balls an inch in diameter and drop into sauce as they are formed; stir gently, occasionally, to prevent sticking. When all meatballs are formed, simmer in sauce for 15 minutes; skim off and discard any fat. Keep sauce hot and serve, or chill and reheat to serve.
