Kid-Approved Spaghetti

 

Here is a dish of spaghetti that son loved even though it had... (gulp!) mushrooms! The sauce was tasty enough to overlook the shrooms on the plate, and of course, the pound of sausage helped, too.

And to channel my inner Sandra Lee (haha), I used bottled spaghetti sauce for this dish. It is just easier and cheaper. I just had to enhance the flavor by adding some herbs from my garden!


What you need:

1 bottle (24 oz) spaghetti sauce (I used Barilla Montanara mushroom and garlic)
1 pound Kielbasa sausage, cubed
1/2 large Vidalia onion, chopped 
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 carrots, cubed
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper, to taste
spaghetti noodles


What to do:

 Cook noodles according to package directions. Set aside.

In a  pot, cook the sausage over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the olive oil, garlic, onions and carrots. Cook for about 2 to 3 minutes, then pour in spaghetti sauce. Add in bay leaf, chopped basil and parsley. Lower heat to simmer and let cook for 10 minutes.

Place noodles in a bowl and ladle sauce on top. Garnish with grated Parmesan cheese and more basil. 


Tips, Tricks and Tweaks:

1. If using dried herbs, only use about 1/3 of the amount of fresh herbs. 
2. Chop basil just before you add them in the dish. Chopping them too early would cause them to brown on the edges.
3. Add some button mushrooms for more flavor!
4. Don't rinse spaghetti with water after cooking. Rinsing would remove starch, which helps pasta absorb more sauce. I do recommend adding a pinch of salt to the boiling water!