Spag Bog
There have been requests for recepies on this blog.. so here goes.
Ingredients:
1lb of ground beef. 80/20 or better
1lb of pasta - any kind you which, though penne and spaghetti are the best
1 16oz+ bottle of ketchup
1 bottle of cranberry juice (cran-cherry ok, cran-grape not as good)
Oregano
Parmesan Cheese
Optional Ingredients:
Red peppers
onions
green peppers
mushrooms (I would never put these in)
Red wine - replaces the cranberry juice
Red tomato paste - makes it all a different consistency
Hot or sweet Italian sausage - pre cooked - mixes in very well with the overall dish
Italian spices
Garlic
Its a very robust recipe, and so can be endlessly altered to change it around. Even altering the basic proportions lead to very different tasting meals, and playing with extra ingredients can really change things around.
Directions:
First brown the ground beef in a frying pan, one with high sides works well as you will be adding sauce to it. Roughly around the same time, start boiling water for the pasta, though if desired the sauce can simmer for a while so this is not necessary. After browning, pour off the fat.
Add a large (I mean large - enough to mix through all of the meat) portion of ketchup. Also add in a smaller portion of cranberry juice. The ratio of these two ingredients will largely determine the taste. More cranberry juice = sweeter and lighter. More ketchup = tangy and thicker. There is no right answer. This is also when you can add in tomato paste etc if desired.
Mix, and continue adding ketchup and cranberry juice until the desired level of consistency. Again, this is more art than science, but you dont want anything soupy, and you dont want it dry. Use your judgement, it will come quickly.
Add oregano and any other spices. Also add any additional goodies like sausage or onions (already fried or fresh), tomatoes etc. If you are like me, you will usually just stick to the oregano, but be liberal with it. You should be able to smell the oregano even after it is all mixed in.
Let the whole thing simmer for a few minutes, stirring now and then.
Keep the pasta al dente (because it is always better that way), and serve.
For best results, mix the two together before serving and allow to cool slightly. This is also amazing as leftovers (better even?) so make extra. A nice slice of italian bread on the side is a good touch, as is a ceasar salad or fresh parmesan.
There is also a variant invented by my brother which involves bbq sauce, but I only recomend that wild and crazy step for those who have already mastered the traditional Spag Bog.
As a side note, the meat sauce can be used in other ways as well. Two of my favorites are in puff pastry, or wrapped up in crepes with a cheese sauce on top, both of which go down very well.
Norm
Directions:
First brown the ground beef in a frying pan, one with high sides works well as you will be adding sauce to it. Roughly around the same time, start boiling water for the pasta, though if desired the sauce can simmer for a while so this is not necessary. After browning, pour off the fat.
Add a large (I mean large - enough to mix through all of the meat) portion of ketchup. Also add in a smaller portion of cranberry juice. The ratio of these two ingredients will largely determine the taste. More cranberry juice = sweeter and lighter. More ketchup = tangy and thicker. There is no right answer. This is also when you can add in tomato paste etc if desired.
Mix, and continue adding ketchup and cranberry juice until the desired level of consistency. Again, this is more art than science, but you dont want anything soupy, and you dont want it dry. Use your judgement, it will come quickly.
Add oregano and any other spices. Also add any additional goodies like sausage or onions (already fried or fresh), tomatoes etc. If you are like me, you will usually just stick to the oregano, but be liberal with it. You should be able to smell the oregano even after it is all mixed in.
Let the whole thing simmer for a few minutes, stirring now and then.
Keep the pasta al dente (because it is always better that way), and serve.
For best results, mix the two together before serving and allow to cool slightly. This is also amazing as leftovers (better even?) so make extra. A nice slice of italian bread on the side is a good touch, as is a ceasar salad or fresh parmesan.
There is also a variant invented by my brother which involves bbq sauce, but I only recomend that wild and crazy step for those who have already mastered the traditional Spag Bog.
As a side note, the meat sauce can be used in other ways as well. Two of my favorites are in puff pastry, or wrapped up in crepes with a cheese sauce on top, both of which go down very well.
Norm
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