Baked or Skillet Spaghetti

Decades ago, when I was a child, my mom used to make a baked spaghetti in large (3 to 5 pounds of spaghetti) batches in an electric baking oven – more like todays slow cookers. It tasted mostly of tomato and we all loved it – even the German Shepard. This recipe may not be the same, but it is as close as I have come in years of searching.

INGREDIENTS

1    pound hamburger

1    medium onion, chopped (1 cup)

8    ounces spaghetti

2    cans (15 ounces) tomato sauce*

2    cups water*

1    tablespoon dried oregano

1    tablespoon dried rosemary

1    tablespoon dried basil

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 275 F*. In a medium* skillet over medium heat, brown the hamburger, breaking it up with a fork into small bits. Using a slotted spoon, remove the browned hamburger to a baking dish, retaining the fat in the skillet. Add the onion to the skillet and cook it until it is translucent, about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove this to the baking dish transferring as little fat as possible.

Break the spaghetti into half and lay it over the hamburger and onions in the baking dish*. Add the tomato sauce, water and spices to the baking dish, stirring lightly to mix. Cover and place into the middle of the oven, Bake for 15 minutes and stir the ingredients. If all the liquid has not been absorbed, re-cover and return to the oven for 10 more minutes. Serve immediately, garnished with grated Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley.

*NOTES:

*Instead of the tomato sauce and water, you can use 4 cups of tomato juice (NOT V8}

*Instead of baking, use a large skillet and build the spaghetti there. Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes and check the liquid level as in the baking method.

*If you like mushrooms in your pasta, add 1 or 2 cans of Stems and Pieces (7 ounces), drained, after adding the onions.