Spaghetti Marinara

Spaghetti Marinara

I've been doing a lot of cooking since my new housemates moved in after the flood. It seems that whenever I don't know what to cook, I opt for pasta. As we sit down to eat, I often keep them entertained with stories from my past. It is fun to eat with a group again.

Spaghetti marinara and grilled sausages is
one of my favorite dinners.

Many people know that I like to cook. Most people also know that I like to have friends and family over for dinner. Many people know, too, that I am an exceptionally good big brother. Often I have done all three things at once.

For example, back when I would have my Wednesday pasta dinners, I would often tell stories about my sister, the lovely Aunt Ginny. It was fun to watch her turn red. One night, over spaghetti, I told the story of the time Aunt Ginny was thirteen years old and she wanted to interrupt my fishing.

I was out in my boat fishing in the middle of North Lake on the edge of the deep hole. This is usually a productive spot for big bluegills. Aunt Ginny and a couple of her friends paddled out in inner tubes. Aunt Ginny left her tube with he friends and dog-paddled over to my boat and asked if she was disturbing my fishing. I said “No, not at all. Here hold this.” I then handed her the anchor. For some reason, she just reached up and took it from me.

The last expression on her face, before she went under, was a look that said “Oh crap!” She road the anchor all the way to the bottom of the lake and then came up sputtering. Not only was I a good big brother by teaching her not to grab anchors while swimming, I was also a good brother relaying the story for all to enjoy. And here I am now, being a good brother once again.

Since I mentioned spaghetti, here is how to make a basic marinara sauce. Try it, you’ll like it.

Olive oil

4 cloves of garlic

2 medium onions, chopped fine

1 medium carrot, grated

1 tsp. thyme

1 tsp. basil

1/2 tsp. marjoram

Cajun seasoning

1 28 oz. can of whole tomatoes

1 28 oz. can of ground tomatoes

1/2 cup white wine

1 tbs. butter

1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley

Preparation

Heat a pot big enough to make spaghetti sauce. Add enough olive oil to coat the bottom. Now add the onion, garlic and grated carrot. Cook gently for about three minutes, but don’t let the onion or garlic brown. You want them to just clarify.

Add the thyme, basil, marjoram and a good sprinkling of cajun seasoning. Add the whole tomatoes and break them up with a knife and fork. Stir and cook for about five minutes. Add the white wine and the can of ground tomatoes. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer for about fifteen minutes or so. Stir often.

Taste the sauce and adjust for salt and pepper. If you want, add a little Tabasco too. Add the parsley and the butter. Take the sauce off the heat and stir until the butter is melted and blended in. 

Serving

Feel free to have a second helping.
I always do!

You know how to do this. Place a pile of spaghetti on a plate. Cover with the sauce. Now sprinkle lots of grated parmesan over it. Along with this, you want to serve grilled sausage and peppers smothered in more parmesan, a good crisp salad, fresh baked bread as well as some olives and cheese. Finally, open a bottle of Nero D’Avola wine from Sicily. 

As you eat, feel free to share any embarrassing stories you happen to know about those around you.