Recipe: Spaghetti for One

¼ of small onion or 1 small shallot, diced

Garlic cloves (3-4 medium or 5-7 small), minced

1 mini sweet pepper or ¼ of large, seeded & diced

(I also use chopped carrot, zucchini, any vegetable really, just add when adding the pepper in the recipe)

4 oz turkey sausage or ground beef

8 oz can tomato sauce

½ c diced tomatoes & juice (from 14.5 can, I use the entire can)

½ tsp Italian seasonings

½ tsp garlic powder

½ tsp onion powder

½ tsp oregano

½ tsp basil (I don’t use)

1/8 to 1/4 poultry seasoning

1/8 tsp red pepper flakes, optional

Fresh cracked pepper (I use mixed peppercorns), about 5-7 grinds

1 whole bay leaf

½ c hot water

1 ¼ tsp beef bouillon*

1/4 teaspoon lemon juice

2 oz spaghetti pasta

Kosher Salt

Sauté onion, garlic, peppers & any other vegetables you are using in about 1 teaspoon of olive oil until translucent & tender, about 5 minutes.  Remove from pan & set aside.

Add turkey sausage to skillet & cook through.  Just before done, add ¼ teaspoon of each of the above seasonings, a 1/8 teaspoon of the poultry seasoning & a pinch of red pepper flakes if using.  When cooked through, add onion mixture back in.

 

Add tomato sauce & diced tomatoes.  Add an additional ¼ teaspoon of above seasonings, 1/8 teaspoon of poultry seasoning & another small pinch of red pepper flakes.  Add in bay leaf.  Bring just to boiling over medium-high heat.  Reduce heat to low & simmer about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

 

While sauce is simmering, add bouillon to hot water & stir to dissolve; set aside.

 

At the end of the simmer time, taste sauce & adjust seasonings 1/8 to ¼ of a teaspoon at a time to adjust to your desired taste.  Add bouillon & lemon juice to sauce; stir to incorporate.  Set stove to lowest setting & simmer 1-3 hours, stirring occasionally.  The longer it simmers, the deeper the flavors of the finished sauce.

 

About 10 minutes before sauce is done, heat a pot of water to boiling; add pasta & cook until done, about 7 minutes.  Drain & return to pan.  For an even deeper flavor, you can add additional bouillon to the pasta water before adding the pasta, but this is optional.

 

Remove bay leaf, discard.  Take one final taste test & adjust if needed.  You probably won’t need the salt, but if using, add at this time (the bouillon is high in salt; I don’t add any due to this).

 

Pour sauce over pasta; stir to combine & serve hot.  I like to serve with green beans, a green salad & a loaf of fresh crusty French bread or homemade bread.

* use vegetable bouillon and eliminate the meat for a vegetarian option.