Mom's Sunday Spaghetti and Garlic Bread Recipe
Sunday Spaghetti at the Curry's
We had a lot of company. All the time. Especially on the weekends. Often, when we had company on the weekends, we never quite knew when they were leaving. In fact, a lot of times, we knew they weren't about to leave until being asked to join us for Sunday dinner. See, the smell in the house was too good to leave.
Mom would start the sauce simmering about 2:30 in the afternoon. By 5:00, if the weather was warm and the windows were open, we'd have a neighbor or two, and maybe one of my brother Johnny's friends, dropping by, hanging around making small talk, waiting for the invitation. Of course, it was always offered. Spaghetti night- Enough for our family, plus anyone else. This is a holdover from my Dad's military days, when a stray soldier or visiting foreigner would come home with Dad. There was always enough for everyone. Spaghetti and loaves of garlic bread. Mom's special garlic bread.
These days, I am the stray wanderer with my own little family, coming over to the house once in a while, on Sundays, to see if it is cooking on the stove. I now know what our friends felt, when they walked in the door to that aroma. It is true. It is hard to leave. You do want to stay until the last minute, before she calls to everyone to "come get your salad", hoping that when she does, there are extra plates at the table. Of course, there are. And we all sit, scrunched up and happy together around the family table, having Sunday Spaghetti with the Curry's.
Mom's Sunday Spaghetti
INGREDIENTS
2 Large Cans Tomato Sauce
1 Can Diced Tomatoes
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 TBS fresh parsley, chopped
2 tsp basil
1 teaspoon oregano
1 tsp or so of sugar
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
1 lb. ground meat
2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced
About 20 slices pepperoni
Preparation
In a dutch oven, cook the ground beef, onion, and garlic until meat is brown. Add tomato sauce and diced tomatoes. Add oregano, parsley, basil, pepper and sugar. Stir. Add mushrooms and pepperoni. Cover and slow simmer at least an hour, keeping in mind that the longer it cooks, the better it tastes.
Meanwhile, when you are close to serving dinner, start on the garlic bread.
Amazing Garlic Bread
Ingredients
1 loaf Italian Bread
Margarine or butter
Garlic Salt
Parmesan Cheese
Slice loaf in half. Generously butter each half. Sprinkle garlic salt over the butter, then lightly sprinkly Parmesan cheese over all. Place on pan and put under broiler until butter melts and bread begins to brown. Slice and serve with salad and spaghetti.
Making A Big Batch
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Where Did That Recipe Come From?
If you like the stories and/or the recipes, I'd sure like to hear. Do you have family stories associated with some of your own recipes? Whenever I ask someone for their favorite recipe, they seem to always have a story about it, where it came from and who used to cook it.