Recently while putting together our menu planner and subsequent shopping list, I asked Hubby what he wanted. While I had most of the coming week planned out, there were a couple of holes that needed to be filled. Wednesday in particular was an issue. September is a busy month in the Party and Event Business, which always seems to equate to two things – getting home later than usual and not much in the mood for starting dinner. Crock Pot to the rescue!
Hubby pointed out that we haven’t had spaghetti – plain old fashion, simple spaghetti – in a while. Cooking spaghetti in a crock pot is nothing new. So imagine my surprise when I discovered that I didn’t have a recipe for Crock Pot Spaghetti. Now mind you, I’m not suggesting that I cannot make a pot of spaghetti without a recipe to guide me. However; I like yumprint for creating a shopping list. It’s simple – you just drop your recipe from one of your saved cookbooks into the groceries and bam – there’s your list. Besides, I wasn’t the one who would be doing the cooking. Kiddo isn’t working at the moment, so a lot of the cooking has fallen back on him. He doesn’t need much in the way of a recipe, either. Like me, a recipe is sort of a “guide of suggestions”, not carved in stone. I’d be willing to bet he will add his own spin on the recipe below. I left him with a basic list of instructions and one request – take pictures.
My dad is a great one for making Crock Pot Spaghetti. He will let it simmer until there is very little sauce and a ton of meat. Dad is also extremely heavy-handed with the salt. I never seem to get my spaghetti sauce salty enough for Pops. Another thing Dad insists upon is keeping the spaghetti sauce and the spaghetti noodles separate, mixing the two on his plate. It’s one of the reasons he does not like to order spaghetti in a restaurant. I don’t care one way or the other. When feeding a crowd, it’s easier to mix. Serving family style, it’s just as easy to combine as it is to serve separately. When it comes to left-overs (when there are any), we’ll mix it all together in a gallon zip-lock bag and toss it in the fridge for later.
Growing up, Mom made a great spaghetti sauce. She cooked hers up in a cast iron skillet, over low heat and tended to it all day.
Heat olive oil in a cast iron skillet. Cook chopped onions until soft, about 5 minutes. Add ground beef and cook until browned, breaking meat up as it cooks.
Drain meat well. Place into crock pot. Pour spaghetti sauce over meat. Mix in roasted garlic, Italian Tomatoes and wine. Stir to blend.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta al dente. Make sure the water is at a full, rapid boil and well-salted before adding your noodles. Stir often and maintain a nice, dancing boil to prevent pasta from sticking together. Also, the sooner the sauce is mixed with the pasta, the better. If you have enough sauce, add some to the pasta immediately after draining. It will make serving the pasta easier.
Panchetta is Italian Bacon, of sorts. Both American Bacon and Italian Pancetta are pork, usually from the pork belly section. Typically both have been cured (while some bacon is sold uncured). Bacon is cured in salt, either in a brine or packed in salt. It is then aged by drying the meat, be it dried in cold air for weeks or even months, or smoked (my favorite kind of bacon). Pancetta can also be cured in simple salt, but seasonings and other aromatics are often added to the curing process to infuse Pancetta with its distinctly Italian flavors. While this recipe can be made using Bacon, depending upon the type of bacon, the flavor will vary.
The second point of conversation needs to be the very concept of Spaghetti Bolognese, a dish not found in Italy. That is not to say Bolognese isn’t Italian – it most certainly is, just not served over a mound of round Spaghetti noodles. Here in America, we equate Italy with Spaghetti as though no other pasta existed. The truth of the matter is that in Italy, Spaghetti noodles are not used in a Bolognese, and for good reason. Spaghetti is round. Tagliatelle is typically the pasta of choice. The long, flat noodles lend themselves beautifully to any sauce. Just as you won’t find Spaghetti Bolognese in Italy, the idea of Spaghetti with Meatballs is a foreign concept. (As is – surprise – Ham and Pineapple Pizza!) There are many dishes that are found in American-Italian restaurants that you won’t find in Italy. That isn’t to say these dishes aren’t delicious, they are. However; American-Italian cuisine isn’t the same as true Italian cuisine.
I am at my very roots, an American home-cook with some heavy Southern influences in the kitchen. While I like my dishes to be as “authentic” as possible when exploring the world through what I cook, there are certain liberties that are sometimes taken. My guys love Spaghetti with just about anything, and so a lot of the my authentic Italian sauces are not generally served over the correlating pasta of choice in Italy. I feeling is, if it is what you like, go for it authentic or otherwise.
For that matter, in Italy you would not find Chicken in a Bolognese, so we are taking all kinds of liberty with this dish. What makes this recipe Bolognese in spirit? It is the use of carrots, celery, tomatoes and cream in a sauce that has been kissed with wine. While Bolognese is usually made with a red meat and incorporates a red wine, since this dish utilizes a milder meat in the sauce, the red wine has been replaced with a fortified white wine to enhance rather than dominate the flavor.
For a “red” sauce that is more in keeping with a true Ragu Bolognese, see my recipes for Classic Ragu Bolognese with Beef, Veal and Pancetta or Fettuccine Bolognese (That’s Inexpensive and Easy to Make).
This wonderful, lighter version of Spaghetti Bolognese was inspired by Kimberly at The Darling Gourmet. Her blog is an absolute delight – an invitation to tour the world through taste. I’ve included a link to her original recipe at the bottom of the page.
Peel and finely dice yellow onion. Set aside in a large bowl. Wash and finely dice baby carrots. Add carrots to the onions and set aside. Wash and finely dice celery stalk. Add celery to the vegetable mixture and set aside.
Over medium-high heat, melt butter with olive oil. Take care not to allow butter to burn. Once the butter has melted and is hot, add the bowl of finely chopped vegetables. Saute the vegetable mixture until softened, about 6 minutes.
Add ground chicken to the pan, breaking it into small pieces as it cooks. Cook for about 5 minutes or until no pink is remaining.
Increase the cooking temperature to high, add wine and let everything come to a full boil for about 2 minutes.
Add canned tomatoes with their juices, chicken stock, Rosemary and Thyme. Let sauce return to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer the pot, uncovered, for about an hour, until the sauce has thickened slightly.
Bring a large pot of water to a full, rapid boil. Add a pinch of salt to the water to increase boiling temperature.
Add pasta to the boiling water. Cook according to package directions, stirring the pasta to prevent sticking as it cooks.
While the pasta is cooking, add the cream, Parmesan cheese and basil to the sauce. Gently stir well to incorporate the creamy textures and fresh herbs to the sauce. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
To serve: Drain pasta (but do not rinse), shaking off any excess moisture. Empty pasta into a large, rimmed serving platter or large bowl. In another large bowl, empty sauce. Incorporate pasta with sauce at the table, served family-style. Garnish plates with a little parsley for some added color.
NOTE: As with most pasta sauces, this will intensify in flavor with age. The sauce can be made up to two days before serving to let all the flavors marry. Simply warm the sauce gently as the pasta cooks.