David Rubel's

What's For Dinner?

4/13/05

Spaghetti with Sausage-Tomato Sauce

(serves two parents and two children)

This is a recipe that my wife, Julia, developed so that she can make a simple spaghetti dinner using ingredients straight from our pantry. You can use ground beef instead of sausage, if you like, but we find the sausage more flavorful, and it also defrosts from the freezer much more quickly.

• 1 lb spaghetti
• 1 lb sweet Italian sausage
• 1 large onion
• 1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
• 1 c red wine

1. Put up the salted pasta water to boil.

2. Peel, quarter, and then slice the onion into strips.

3. Brown the sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Use a wooden spoon to break up the sausage so that it cooks completely, about 6 minutes. Remove using a slotted spoon and set aside.

4. There should be a thin layer of rendered pork fat in the skillet. If there is a pool, pour off some of the fat. If the skillet seems too dry, add a little olive oil.

5. Saute the onion until it has turned translucent but not yet begun to wilt, about 4 minutes. Remove and set aside with the sausage.

6. Add to the empty skillet the tomatoes and the wine. Stir to combine. Simmer to thicken.

7. When the pasta water boils, add the spaghetti. At the same time, add the sausage and onions back to the sauce. By the time the spaghetti is cooked, the sauce will be done.

8. Serve, if desired, with a garnish of parsley or cilantro.

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Tips

* You can also use hot Italian sausage for a spicy result.

* Our favored brand of canned tomatoes is Redpack.

* Remember: Don't cook with a wine that you wouldn't drink with dinner.

* When Julia makes this recipe, she often proceeds to Step 6 and then goes into a holding pattern until I walk in the door. This means turning down to low the flames under both the pasta water and the sauce. (The pasta water should also be covered to prevent evaporation.) In this way, she can have dinner on the table just a few minutes after I get home (which comes in handy for spouses who run late).

Listener Feedback
Nelson Kent uses red pepper in his version of this sauce, sauteeing it lightly with the onion. He also uses a little fresh garlic and occasionally some fresh herbs.

If you have tried one of these recipes and have an improvement or tip or variation to suggest, please e-mail David at dinner@wamc.org. Also feel free to send along your own family cuisine recipes. You can even request dishes that you'd like David to present in the future.

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David Rubel is president of Agincourt Press, a book production company in Chatham, New York. He spends his days writing American history, then heads home after work to cook for his wife and two young children. His most recent book is The Story of America (DK, 2002).