Did I mention that when you get married, you need to teach your husband
to make the spaghetti just the way you like it or you are doomed for
disaster? My husband, Bob, and I have this agreement - He'll do most
of the cooking and I do most of the cleaning, mostly because I hate to
cook and he hates to clean. Still, in 16 years of marriage, my husband
has yet to learn how to cook a decent batch of spaghetti. He is hooked
on spices and seasonings and thinks he is being creative. Somewhere in
the pantry I should dig out that chef hat and stick it on his head -
maybe then he would use his head to turn out a good batch of spaghetti.
I've told him time and time again how to make it - the easy way, but
he still hasn't learned that less is more. Last night we had our
weekly spaghetti, but whereas I usually make it for the family, he made
it because I am laid up with an injured knee (but that's another
story).
He did everything and it smelled great. Then I took the first bite
- ugh. He had put salt - and lots of it - in the noodles and in the
sauce. He added tomato paste to the sauce and basil leaves and Lord
knows what else. Even he had to struggle to eat it.
It's hard for me to be angry at him. Actually, for something like
this it is nearly impossible because he tried so hard to make it right
and to prepare a good dinner. He gets an "A" for effort.
Now, sweetie, if you are reading this - Take a handful of spaghetti and
split it in half and place it in boiling water. Add a cap full of
Mazola oil to the boiling water to keep the spaghetti from sticking and
stir regularly for about 11 minutes. When the water begins to boil and
after you put in the spaghetti, in a separate pan cook 1 lb of very
lean ground beef. Chop it up with the spatula into nice small pieces
as it is cooking. When the ground beef is good and done, add 1 jar of
Classico Tomato & Basil Spaghetti Sauce. Yum. Turn off the fire
under the sauce and let it simmer for about 5 minutes or until the
spaghetti noodles are done. Empty the noodles in a strainer in the
sink and rinse off with hot water. Let the water in the noodles and
the strainer drain into the sink. Serve. To make it really great,
serve with garlic toast, salad, and red wine.
No salt, basil, pepper, or seasonings needed. A perfect batch of
spaghetti every time. Try it. You always like it when I make it.
Then again, maybe that is why you screw it up, so that I won't ask you
to make it again. Maybe I should screw up your favorite dinner next
time. What were those seasonings again?
