Norman's grumpy marinara

Norman’s Grumpy Marinara

People claim that as I get grumpier, I end up cooking hotter food. In particular, I’ve been accused of this with my jambalaya. Now, of course, this is nonsense. I’m never grumpy. My bright, sparkling personality is my most attractive feature, is it not? How anyone can accuse me of grumpiness is beyond me. Google ‘lovable’, and my picture comes up.

Even when I’m in my brightest, cheeriest moods, however, I sometimes like a little spicy food. In my opinion, jambalaya should have enough heat to give you a good slap in the face. Marinara isn’t usually spicy, but sometimes I like it that way. If I’m having a dinner of sausage and peppers with a side of spaghetti marinara, I like a little kick in the spaghetti. That’s when this sauce comes in handy.

olive oil
3 jalapeños minced
2 bunches of green onions sliced razor thin

2 cloves of garlic smashed and minced
8 oz. shiitake mushrooms, sliced

Cajun seasoning
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. basil

Salt and pepper
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup white wine.

Louisiana Hot Sauce
1 lb. spaghetti cooked al dente

Preparation

Heat a large skillet. Pour in a nice layer of olive oil. Add the jalapeños and onions and sauté for about 3 minutes. Add the sliced mushrooms to the skillet. Add the cajun seasoning, oregano, basil and a good sprinkling of salt and pepper. Cover and let the mushrooms and onions sweat out.

Add the white wine, and simmer to reduce. Then add the crushed tomatoes. Simmer 15 minutes, stirring often. Taste for salt and pepper. Now taste and decide how much Louisiana Hot Sauce to add. Go ahead, don’t be wimpy. Add more than that. 

Serving

Serve this sauce over the spaghetti and sprinkle it with lots of fresh grated pecorino romano cheese. Place a pile of sautéed spinach on the plate. Now put a heaping portion of sausage and peppers on the plate. Hit both of those with more of the pecorino. For an appetizer, how about a bowl of yellow pea soup and some fresh baked bread. Finally, open a good Montepulciano DʼAbruzzo and you’re set to eat.