Monday, June 06, 2005

I used some of the Basil I am growing to enhance the marinara sauce I made the other day. I felt very old world being able to go to my window sill and pluck a few pieces of Basil. I also have parsley growing, but it isn't ready yet to be picked. The baked spaghetti the sauce was used for came out very flavorful with the fresh Basil.

 Posted by Hello


 Posted by Hello


Baked Spaghetti
1 Package of Spaghetti
1 regular jar of premade Marinara Sauce(either your own or store brand)
1 lb of veal
One medium chopped onion
3 cloves of chopped garlic
Salt for flavoring Spaghetti water
A Tablespoon of Italian seasonings
1 lb of mozzarella shredded
half a cup of grated Parmesan

Boil Spaghetti in salted water until done. Spaghetti will have a bit of a bite to it.
While the pasta is cooking. Cook onion and garlic and add the veal. Cook on medium heat till meat is no longer pink. Once the meat is about cooked through, heat the Marinara sauce. Add any flavorings to the sauce you like. I used dried Italian seasonings plus the fresh basil. Once the meat is cooked through, Spaghetti is boiled fully and marinara is heated begin to layer in a casserole dish. I put a bit of marinara on the bottom, then added a little spaghetti, some marinara sauce, the veal, and then some of the cheeses. I repeat the process till I reach the top and I bake it in a preheated 375 oven for about 45 minutes.

Song Stuck In My Head: "Opportunities" by The Pet Shop Boys

12 comments:

Mike said...

We've made that baked spaghetti before, but you one upped us by making your own sauce. We cheated and used Classico 3 cheese jarred sauce.

foodiechickie said...

God that sounds good!

Sometimes I do used jarred sauce. And making my own sauce only consists of opening up a can of tomatoe sauce and adding other ingredients to it. One day I hope to make my own tomatoe sauce from scratch. It's on my 101 list. I've also added other types of meat. Like Italian Sausage or just cheese.

Leslie said...

Fresh Basil! That sounds divine, especially since it came from your home! Fab!

And if you're interested in some good sauce, check out Giada De Laurentiis' book, 'Everyday Italian." Hank bought it for me for Mother's Day, and so far it's been pretty darn good! I just wish the book had more photos. Actually, a lot of her recipes can be found on the foodnetwork site. Have fun!

foodiechickie said...

Hey Leslie! I'm determined to keep these herbs alive. So far the pebbles under the dirt have done the trick. I think I may have to purchase food for them though. They are not as big as some I have seen in some flower shops. I like watching Giada De Laurentiis' show on Food Network. I may try her recipe for fresh tomatoe sauce.

foodiechickie said...

Thanks Jess. I think the basil should be a bit higher. Loki has good taste. LOL.

Hannah said...

That sounds wonderful! I love fresh herbs!

foodiechickie said...

It's interesting how much lighter the flavor is then dried herbs.

MarylandMommy said...

Sounds very yummy!!! I love fresh herbs!!!

foodiechickie said...

Herbs rule! I guess unless one is allergic to them.

Jen14221 said...

Sounds yummy! My stomach is growling. Too bad it's only 8:15 here and there's nothing at work I can eat. Except blah oatmeal!

Jen14221 said...

Also, have not yet found the energy to plant basil. Hope to do so this weekend. Do you think it's too late?

foodiechickie said...

JustJenn-I can't watch that show. I would end up throwing things at the television. That guy is a major ass.

Jenn14221-Do what you can. You want to plant go ahead. Not plant no problema. If you can it is not too late to plant Basil. The seeds worked best for me. Good luck.