How do I make good spaghetti?

Question

I have eaten many types of spaghetti and tried a few recipes before, yet I still can't tell what is a good spaghetti dish.

How should a good spaghetti taste and look?

Any suggestions on what kind of pasta and sauce or anything additional should I use?

Answer 1

My wife has become a phenomenal cook/chef. Whenever we entertain, people rave about her cooking and ask how she did this or that. Most of what she has learned has come through going to a lot of restaurants and finding what strikes her as being very good. Once she finds a dish she really likes, she experiments at home and tries to duplicate what she's tasted. If she's unsure of any ingredients, she might ask the waiter. Sometimes her approximations are not as good, but most of the time they're better. She'll start with the basic idea of what she experienced at the restaurant and then add a little of this or that until it's just how she likes it. Over time when you've used certain ingredients a lot you'll find yourself saying, "you know, this needs a little feta on top" or "gosh, a little fresh basil would sure add a nice touch to this" We've put a number of her creations on a website as well as dishes other people have sent us. We've also put some hot tips that we've discovered along the way that pertain just to pasta. If you are interested in checking it out, you can find it at the end of this answer.

The important thing I've learned from watching her though, is to experiment, have fun with it, give yourself permission to fail and try again. When you have success, write down what you did so you build up a collection of recipes that work for you. And when your guests (or you) exclaim, "OH MY GOSH ! ! ! " after the first bite you'll know you're right on track.

Good Luck To You!
Mikey

Answer 2

Here's my recipe. Quick and easy, that's what I like for my family.Serves 4-6 people main course.
1 lb ground hamburger
3 TBSP Olive oil
1 20-28 oz can Primo spaghetti sauce or equivalent
1 large Spanish chopped onion
garlic powder, oregano, salt, pepper, Italian spice or mixed Italian spices
1 tsp sugar or honey
Parmesan cheese (optional) to sprinkle on after.
Any shaped pasta or spaghetti enough for 2-4 people, boiled, drained and set aside in a container with a lid. .
Start by frying the chopped Spanish onion in frying pan with the oil, until golden.
Add 1/2 tsp granulated garlic powder and the hamburger meat to fried onion and brown together until no more pink meat.
Add other spices to your taste as listed above
Pour in can of Spaghetti sauce or canned herbed tomatoes and a small can of tomato paste if you use canned tomatoes .
This may thicken the sauce so 1/4 cup water can be added. Adjust seasonings to your liking. Stir sauce, cover and simmer ten minutes.
That should do it. Just spoon over spaghetti, and enjoy.

Answer 3

Spaghetti is just one shape of pasta. It doesn't have any particular taste. Presumably you mean how do you make a pasta sauce. Starting with finely chopped onions and garlic, I mix flour and Italian mixed dried herbs, black pepper and a little salt, toss minced meat in this mixture, brown lightly in the pan, add about a tablespoon of tomato purée, a can of tomatoes and (my secret ingredient) a splash of balsamic vinegar. Not in the least bit genuine Italian, but it goes down well.
Store cupboard sauces can be made in much the same way with a can of tuna instead of the meat, or try salami, not sliced, but cut into chunks.
Ricotta cheese mixed with spinach.
For those embarrassing times when unexpected guests turn up and seem reluctant to leave, there's always a Napoli sauce. Just like the first idea, but without the meat - you'll need more herbs, and more than one can of tomatoes - fresh basil helps (torn not cut and added at the very last moment before serving).

Answer 4

Try this:
2 medium onions
1 1b of steak mince
2 tins tomatoes
packet of dried basil (or fresh if you prefer)
4 bouquet garni
4 bay leaves
tomato puree (about third of a tube)
Garlic puree....to taste
salt and pepper
Glass red wine
chop and fry onions until transparent
Add the meat and cook until brown
add all the herbs and tinned tomatoes and mix in well.
Add the salt and pepper and wine and leave to simmer for about 40 mins to let all the flavours fuse together.
keep stirring occassionally so that the mix doesn't stick. taste during cooking to see if you need to add anything else. Don't forget to take out the bay leaves and bouquet garni before serving.
I've made this for as long as i can remember and it always goes down well. It also freezes well.
Happy cooking
It's nice served with a bit of salad......

Answer 5

OK,
boil some water
add a little salt to the water
add some spaghetti to the boiling water
add a splash of olive oil to the water
when the spaghetti has the texture you like, pour it into a strainer and rinse well with very hot water

1 jar of Prego regular spaghetti sauce
Brown 1/2 pound of very lean ground beef
heat spaghetti sauce
add browned ground beef to heated spaghetti sauce
add small can of sliced mushrooms
stir well while heating

put some spaghetti on a plate
add some hot spaghetti sauce
top with a little parmesan cheese

You're on your own for the garlic bread

don't forget your glass of red wine

enjoy

Answer 6

As far as the proper way to cook spaghetti, Hank is close. Except you rinse in COLD water. Or the pasta continues to cook.

There are so many diiferent types of pasta and sauces, you need to figure out what YOU like.

As far as recommendations:

Fettuccini: Alfredo - Palmino
Capellini: tomato/spinach/olive oil - lemon/stock/cream
Spaghetti: Marinara - tomato/butter/wine
Shells: Extra sharp Cheddar/Monterrey Jack

Answer 7

why not adding meatballs. you can buy these at a supermarket from the fresh fridges. have the spaghetti in a nice tomato sauce.

Otherwise just buy a white wine sause and have it with pasta- quick and easy

Answer 8

brown hamburger and vegetable's (shredded cheese onions. mushrooms etc...) in skillet/ in sauce pan simmer sauce( your choice) then add the skillet content (drain grease first) let simmer together covered / boil water add salt and touch of oil cook about 6 minutes drain water pour spaghetti noodles in large bowl add sauce mixture stir

Answer 9

the taste of spaghetti will depend upon the person eating it, or rather the nationality of the person eating it. take for example the italians they stuff their spaghetti with lots of spices, the filipinos like their spaghetti sweet, while others like to have something sour. when you cook spaghetti, better check the background of the person who's gonna eat it.

Answer 10

spaghetti with meatballs in meat suace!!!!!! with garlic bread and a house salad with ranch dressing and a huge glass of water!!! my fav. meal (minus meatballs...i dont like them, yet my bros do...)