Cowboy Spaghetti (Easy Recipe) (2024)

FAQs

How to make spaghetti in 10 steps? ›

To enhance the flavor of your spaghetti sauce, you can add fresh vegetables, greens, and fresh herbs like basil and parsley. You can also add diced onions, fresh garlic, and red/green pepper. A splash of red wine or some dairy, such as cheese, also works great. Lastly, don't forget salt.

Nutmeg. Nutmeg is the key to boosting earthiness and adding a touch of nuttiness to your spaghetti sauce. Nutmeg also has a slightly sweet flavor, which we know goes great with acidic canned tomatoes. Overall, it accentuates the other ingredients in the sauce and adds complexity.

Because of the naturally high acidity of tomato sauce, I find that most store-bought tomato sauces tend to be way too abrasive and sharp-tasting. The addition of butter really rounds out the flavor of the sauce and helps to temper the acidity. It also gives the sauce a nice sheen, which is a fun bonus.

IF YOU COOK spaghetti in a big pot of water, drain it, then toss it with sauce, you are pouring a lot of flavor down the drain, says Vendemmia chef Brian Clevenger. “The trick to good pasta is cooking it in the sauce,” he says. It was while working at Delfina in San Francisco that he really started to understand why.

Red pepper flakes, dehydrated or fresh garlic, dried oregano, parsley, or basil, or an Italian seasoning blend are all good options. Dried herbs and spices should be added at the beginning of the cook time so that they have time to bloom.

If you do not have crushed or diced tomatoes, you can use tomato sauce and tomato paste instead. If using tomato paste, you will need to add 1 cup of water and allow the sauce to simmer. Worcestershire sauce – (Optional) Deepens the flavor of the sauce.

Add Some Baking Soda

If your tomato sauce is too acidic and verging on bitter, turn to baking soda, not sugar. Yes, sugar might make the sauce taste better, but good old baking soda is an alkaline that will help balance the excess acid. A little pinch should do the trick.

Starting with good quality tomatoes and crushing them by hand offers great flavor and texture later on. The combination of butter and oil releases fat-soluble aromatics and gives the sauce a creamy texture. Slowly cooking the sauce in the oven creates rich caramelization without burning.

How do I get my spaghetti sauce to stick to my noodles? ›

Once the pasta is in the sauce, add pasta water. This is the most vital step in the process. Starchy pasta water doesn't just help thin the sauce to the right consistency; it also helps it cling to the pasta better and emulsify with the fat and cheese you're going to be adding.

Add a little milk to tomato sauce for a sweeter taste to offset the acidity of the tomatoes. This is a well-kept secret amongst Italian grandmothers.

Boil the fettuccine in lightly salted water until it's tender, yet still firm. Drain the pasta in a colander, then return it to the pot. Mix butter, cheese, salt, and pepper into the cooked noodles until all the ingredients are evenly combined.

One of the thinnest pasta, Spaghettini No10 Melissa is a pasta produced from fine Greek wheat with a golden color and authentic taste. A thin pasta that is extremely versatile as a base for everyday cooking, but can also be used in more gourmet recipes. It is cooked plain, with cheese, with red or white sauces.

When you cook pasta, 2 ounces of dry pasta per person is a good rule of thumb to follow.