Badda Bing

 

 

The Art of Great Spaghetti Sauce

 

 

Stuff you’re going to need;

 

A couple of jumbo onions

Lots of fresh handpicked mushrooms

Maybe another onion

Some Fennel Seeds – Eleven (smashed)

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Five pounds of ground sirloin

1 ½ pounds of sweet Italian sausage

More Oregano than you think you’re going to need

Fresh Basil (Again – don’t be stingy)

Fresh Parsley

Six large cans of Dei Fratelli tomato sauce

Four small cans of Contadina tomato paste

Butter

Sugar – maybe ½ cup or more

Salt and Onion salt

A nice bottle of vino

 

OK, I know what you’re thinking. “Where’s the garlic.”  I don’t use garlic.  Yes, I know… and it’s one of the things that kept me from becoming Italian.  I applied - I filled out the forms and paid the fee but failed miserably when it came to putting garlic in my spaghetti sauce.

 

Hardware:

 

A 6 gallon pot

2 large frying pans

A good size cutting board

A real sharp kitchen knife

A glass

Motar & pestle to mash the fennel seeds.

 

Now you’re ready.

 

First thing – clean the kitchen.  Before you start anything – everything should be spotless; and put some Italian music on.

 

 

Pour some of the vino into the glass and have some.

 

Now – open all the cans and gently pour them into the big pot.  Put in some sugar – stir and turn the flame on very low.  (Special note:  If you got electric – forgetabouteit.  You need to be cooking with gas)

 

Hey! Save one of the large empty cans.  You’re going to need it later.

 

On the cutting board chop up the Oregano and Parsley.  Add it to the sauce and stir it in.  Add in a little olive oil and stir that in as well.

 

In one of the large frying pans cook up the sirloin.  Never use a wooden spoon to stir meat. Salt it a little while it’s cooking. When done, drain the grease into the large empty can you set aside earlier.

 

Add the meat to the sauce and stir it in.

 

Then cook the Italian sausage.  Drain it and add the meat to the sauce.  YES! Stir it again.  What? I have to tell you each time?

 

This would be a good time to pour yourself some more wine.

 

Tear off some tin foil and make a lid over the can of grease.  Stretch a rubber band around the foil lid to hold it in place and then set it out in the trash.  You’re done with that.

 

Clean off the cutting board and kitchen knife.  Then chop up the onions and start them cooking in olive oil.

 

While the onions are cooking chop the mushrooms.  Put them is a separate pan from the onions.  Cook them in some butter and add a splash of  red wine after they have been cooking for a bit.

 

Pay attention.  Don’t burn the onions. Keep them stirred.

 

When the mushrooms and onions are done stir them into the sauce.  Add some onion salt and a little more sugar.

 

Put a lid on the pot, leave it on simmer and have a little more wine.  Before you start to clean up the kitchen go turn up the music.  Al Martino or Deano – you pick.

 

Every now and then, while you’re washing up the place go over and stir – give it a taste.  What’s it need?  Add it.

 

When it’s done; 3 ½ maybe 4 hours, shut off the flame and go into the other room and watch Moonstruck or My Big Fat Italian Wedding or something.

 

After the movie put the whole pot into the fridge.  It will fit – you just have to juggle stuff around.

 

 

The next day:

 

Heat up the sauce.  Put a large pot of water on for the noodles.  Twice the water you think you will need.  Get it boiling.  Add in some olive oil - it keeps the noodles from sticking together.

 

Invite the neighbors over.  You’ve got lots of spaghetti.

 

 

Sprinkle some Parmesan.

 

Light the candles.

 

Pour some wine.

 

 

 

Squisito