Daday’s Kitchen: Bolognese Spaghetti Di Daniz

Most children like their spaghetti Filipino style…sweet, like that of Jollibee. But not our daughter, Daniz…no, no, no. She likes it Italian style…tomato based with mince beef or pork…sour with just a hint of sweetness.

It’s not that she does not love Jollibee…she does, especially Chicken Joy. She grew up eating Italian style spaghetti. And so, just now, Jonjie and i decided to call this recipe…Bolognese Spaghetti Di Daniz.

When you tried to follow the recipe, you can tweak it, put your own brand…and you can even change the name.

INGREDIENTS: (To serve at least 10 persons)

450g Spaghetti Noodles
1 pack (5 pcs) CDO Nutri-Burger Beef Patties
4 medium Fresh Tomatoes, diced
1 big Onion, finely diced
1 1/2 cloves of Garlic, finely diced
1 small can Mushroom, diced (set aside the liquid)
3 small packs of Del Monte Italian-Style Spaghetti Sauce
2 tbsp All Purpose Cream
1 cup Cheddar Cheese, grated
Oil (for this recipe, its Olive Oil)
Salt and Black Pepper
At least 15 Basil Leaves, hand-torn for best flavor
1/2 cup Freshly grated Parmesan Cheese, grated (for toppings, optional)
Parsley leaves, chopped, (for toppings, optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Noodles

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, cover the pot with a lid to help bring the water to a boil faster.
2. Add oil to prevent the noodles from sticking together.
3. Add salt, at least 2 tbsp.  Salting the water makes pasta taste better by bringing out the natural flavor of the pasta, this does not increase the sodium level of the recipe. Note: Do not add the salt until the water has come to a full boil, plain water boils faster than salted water.
4. Add the pasta, all at once, to the boiling salted water, and keep the heat high to bring the water back to the boil as quickly as possible. Note: Fast boil is so important; the water temperature drops when you add the pasta, but if you have a fast boil, the water will still be hot enough for the pasta to cook properly.
5. Stir at the beginning. After you add the pasta to the boiling water, stir with a long wooden spoon (stirring prevents pasta from sticking to each other and from sticking to the bottom and the edge of pan). Frequent stirring with a long wooden spoon or fork while the pasta is cooking will help the pasta to cook.
6. Start timing when the water returns to a boil. Most pastas cook in 8 to 12 minutes. Note: Don't rely on the package to give you the correct cooking time (this is only a guideline). 
7. Test dry pasta for doneness after about 4 minutes of cooking by tasting it. It is difficult to give exact cooking times since different shapes and thickness of pasta will take less or more time to cook.
8. Watch the cooking process of the pasta carefully since it can overcook very quickly. Pasta should be tender but still firm when you eat it. To be sure, bite into the pasta. If it's too hard to bite or if you see white in the center, it needs to cook a little longer. When it's cooked all the way through but still firm, it's ready. This is referred to as al dente (“to the tooth”) in Italian. 
9. When cook, drain immediately and put it under running water to stop the noodles from cooking.

Sauce

1. In a large pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat.
2. Add the onions, stirring, until soft.
3. Add the garlic, stirring softly until it smell. Add tomatoes, and a pinch of salt and a pinch of pepper, then mash.
4. Add beef patties and cook, stirring, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes.
5. Add the liquid from the canned mushroom and simmer for another 5inutes.
6. Add spaghetti sauce until it boils. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, to keep the sauce from sticking to the bottom of the pan, until the sauce is thickened and flavorful.
7. Add salt and pepper to taste.
8. Add all purpose cream and grated Cheddar cheese, then let it boil.
9. When it starts to boil, add mushroom, let it boil then turn off the heat.
10. Add basil leaves.

ASSEMBLE:

Put noodles on a plate, pour an appropriate amount of sauce, topped it with parmesan cheese and parsley.

It can be served with Garlic Bread and Baked Stuffed Green Bell Pepper for plated dinner or by itself for sharing. Or, as you desired.

ENJOY!!! Have a happy tummy…