# How do you prepare your spaghetti?



## Chief Longwind Of The North (Oct 20, 2019)

In my family, spaghetti was served as seperate noodlrs, drained and sitting in  searjing bow, with another bowl cntaining a ragu, and a cotainer of paresan cheese.  You took noodlrs from yje bowl and passred it around the table.  The you spoonef sauce on top, folloed by cheese
  At a good frend's home the noodles and sauce were cooked seperately, then combinef in  large roasting pot, and bakrd fo a half hor or so.  Then it was served up with grated parmeszn chees.

As I love sauce, I prefeted the way it ea presented on my parent's home.  I simply went last, so that I could get any extra  left÷over ragu (meat sauce).  But I now understand the reaoning behind rhe other preperatio, as the noodle is the star, with the sauce enhancing the noodle, bit not dominating the plate
  It allows for a more ballanced presentation.

I also like the idea of undercookibg the noodles slightly, and finishing them in the sauce to enhance the noodle flavor.  I usually cook my noodles so that ther are cooked through, but srill firm.  I then drain them and add a couple tbs. of sauce to the noodles, toss it all gebtly to blend sauce and noodles together.  Then I plate the noodles, and cover with sauce.  The sauce will vary as to herbs and spcrs, meats, olives, mishrooms,etc. depending om my mood.  I try to have fresly grated Pamesono-Regiano availabe.  Sometimrs though, I'll use Asiago.  I've even bee known to use extra sharp cheddar.

How do you ptepare your spagheti meal?

Chief Longwind of the North


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## larry_stewart (Oct 20, 2019)

For me, it its strictly Spaghetti with A sauce,  Ill usually put the pasta in a bowl ( sometimes tossing some butter on the pasta and giving it a mix) then sauce on top.   I kinda like moving the sauce around a bit with fork, and getting a bite of pasta with a decent amount of sauce in each bite.

Now if Im adding things to the sauce like Mushrooms, or other veggies, will finish the pasta with the sauce ,so it is all mixed in and coated, then serve it with additional sauce on top.

Ill also mix in any sauce, that is not a red sauce ( like cream sauces, cheese sauces , garlic/ oil) ..

Other pastas shapes, like zitti, penne, farfalle, orecchiette , small shells ... I ll always mix the sauce in.


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## Just Cooking (Oct 20, 2019)

I have always added the cooked noodles to the pan the sauce is being cooked in.. I prefer to have no noodles without sauce..

Ross


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## GotGarlic (Oct 20, 2019)

Our typical spaghetti is a meat sauce with ground beef, onions, garlic and bell peppers. We do like to mix the noodles and sauce together before serving, although I have trouble estimating how many noodles to cook for the volume of sauce I have.


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## skilletlicker (Oct 20, 2019)

I add pasta to the sauce in a pan over heat. Turn off the heat and add cheese.


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## caseydog (Oct 20, 2019)

I grew up eating spaghetti served on a plate, and then sauced.

But now, I cook my spaghetti to al dente, and mix it with the sauce to complete the cooking. The spaghetti will absorb more sauce if it is still a little starchy. 

CD


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## Kayelle (Oct 20, 2019)

caseydog said:


> I grew up eating spaghetti served on a plate, and then sauced.
> 
> But now, I cook my spaghetti to al dente, and mix it with the sauce to complete the cooking. The spaghetti will absorb more sauce if it is still a little starchy.
> 
> CD




Exactly true for me too. ^
 Actually, now that I think about it, my Mom was always on a "diet" and used just a little pasta with her sauce. That's probably why she always served it that way. Too bad she didn't live long enough to know about "Zoodels".
She would have loved that idea.


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## Sir_Loin_of_Beef (Oct 20, 2019)

After allowing to sauce to simmer with the meatballs and Italian sausage in it for at least two hours, I boil the macaroni for 12 minutes while we enjoy our appetizers, drain it in a scolapasta (colander), put it back in the cooking pot and add the amount of sauce needed to coat the macaroni thoroughly. The macaroni goes from the pot to the plate and the meatballs and sausage come to the table in a separate serving bowl, to be eaten AFTER you finish your macaroni. Salad comes last, then dessert, if you have room!


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## CraigC (Oct 21, 2019)

Sir_Loin_of_Beef said:


> After allowing to sauce to simmer with the meatballs and Italian sausage in it for at least two hours, I boil the macaroni for 12 minutes while we enjoy our appetizers, drain it in a scolapasta (colander), put it back in the cooking pot and add the amount of sauce needed to coat the macaroni thoroughly. The macaroni goes from the pot to the plate and the meatballs and sausage come to the table in a separate serving bowl, to be eaten AFTER you finish your macaroni. Salad comes last, then dessert, if you have room!



That is exactly how Sunday gravy is done. Macaroni and sauce is one course and the meats are another. If we are talking pasta in general, most of the pasta dishes we have, the pasta is added to the sauce in the pan, usually with some reserved pasta water to tighten the sauce.


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## Chief Longwind Of The North (Oct 21, 2019)

My American goulash is made the same way my Dad used to do it.  his goulash was so very good.  He would brown hamburger, leaving it in chunks, add dice onion and bell pepper, garlic, and  the standard mix of Italian herbs, including bay leaf. This sauce was runny.  He then added rotini noodles, covered, and cooked until the noodles we re cooked through.  This was the go-to dish at hunting camp that everyone loved. There was no better meal to warm you  up after sitting as still as possible in a deer blind, with snow all around you, and 15 degree temperatures.  I spent many hours learning to get the same flavor he used to get.  And the pasta absorbed so much of the sauce flavors.

This thread brings back good memories.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North


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## Haydensgampa (Oct 22, 2019)

GotGarlic said:


> Our typical spaghetti is a meat sauce with ground beef, onions, garlic and bell peppers. We do like to mix the noodles and sauce together before serving, although I have trouble estimating how many noodles to cook for the volume of sauce I have.


 
I grew up eating meat sauce over pasta. Now I prefer meatballs over pasta. Either way they were cooked separately and NEVER mixed prior to eating. Even the left overs were placed in the fridge in separate containers. My Sicilian uncle would cook chicken neck bones as an extra side dish that would be covered with sauce and eaten. Don't knock it til you try it. They were great!

Mike


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## jd_1138 (Oct 22, 2019)

Chief Longwind Of The North said:


> My American goulash is made the same way my Dad used to do it.  his goulash was so very good.  He would brown hamburger, leaving it in chunks, add dice onion and bell pepper, garlic, and  the standard mix of Italian herbs, including bay leaf. This sauce was runny.  He then added rotini noodles, covered, and cooked until the noodles we re cooked through.  This was the go-to dish at hunting camp that everyone loved. There was no better meal to warm you  up after sitting as still as possible in a deer blind, with snow all around you, and 15 degree temperatures.  I spent many hours learning to get the same flavor he used to get.  And the pasta absorbed so much of the sauce flavors.
> 
> This thread brings back good memories.
> 
> Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North



Your dad sounds like an awesome guy (and a great cook).  Do you share the recipe?  I'd like to try it.  

Growing up, I think my mom cooked the spaghetti separately but then combined the sauce/meat with the noodles, and we'd get it from the serving bowl.  I think when I was a teen, she started keeping them separate because my sister was picky about the noodle to sauce ratio and wanted to do it herself.

My mom sold Tupperware occasionally (or hosted the parties), so she always had the full assortment.  After dinner, the food would end up in the honey gold color Tupperware.  So later for a snack, we'd pop it open and grab some and then nuke it.  Great memories.  Spaghetti and a separate large bowl with salad.  Bottles of dressing and the shake container of Kraft parmesan cheese.  That's so iconic of a meal for a family.


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## evergreen (Oct 22, 2019)

My family always keep it the pasta and sauce separate.  This is the way I prefer it as the pasta doesn't soak up the sauce and becomes soggy.

I am however a YouTube junkie and copy lots of recipe from videos.  My favourite is Flavour of Food which you can follow as well. http://corneey.com/w5fK2n


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## Chief Longwind Of The North (Oct 22, 2019)

Haydensgampa said:


> ...My Sicilian uncle would cook chicken neck bones as an extra side dish that would be covered with sauce and eaten. Don't knock it til you try it. They were great!
> 
> Mike


 I love the meat on both chickn and turkey necks.  It is the best meat on the bird, albeit tough to navigate.

With turkey, I boil the necks, gizzards, livers, and giblets from the turkey, then remove them after I have the broth just right, and chop up the meat and add it to my stuffing.  Again, I remove the meat from the neck and use it.  Then I gnaw on the neck bones to get every last bit of meat from it.  The neck meat, IMHO, is even better that are the oysters (little muscles on the both sides of 
 ack, next to the joints).  If you haven[t tried then neck meat, do so, and you will be pleasantly rewarded.

Seeeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North


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## Cheryl J (Oct 22, 2019)

caseydog said:


> *I grew up eating spaghetti served on a plate, and then sauced.*
> 
> But now, I cook my spaghetti to al dente, and mix it with the sauce to complete the cooking. The spaghetti will absorb more sauce if it is still a little starchy.
> 
> CD




From what I remember, same here.  My dad always wanted the spaghetti and sauce in separate bowls at the dining room table. Once I got older and had my own family with kids, it was easier to just mix everything together and serve.


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## GotGarlic (Oct 22, 2019)

Chief Longwind Of The North said:


> I love the meat on both chickn and turkey necks.  It is the best meat on the bird, albeit tough to navigate.
> 
> With turkey, I boil the necks, gizzards, livers, and giblets from the turkey, then remove them after I have the broth just right, and chop up the meat and add it to my stuffing.  Again, I remove the meat from the neck and use it.  Then I gnaw on the neck bones to get every last bit of meat from it.  The neck meat, IMHO, is even better that are the oysters (little muscles on the both sides of
> ack, next to the joints).  If you haven[t tried then neck meat, do so, and you will be pleasantly rewarded.
> ...


My mom used to do that. No one else wanted turkey neck meat, so she considered it the cook's treat and ate it while preparing Thanksgiving dinner.


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## Kayelle (Oct 23, 2019)

GotGarlic said:


> My mom used to do that. No one else wanted turkey neck meat, so she considered it the cook's treat and ate it while preparing Thanksgiving dinner.




I do the same. I love turkey neck meat, and often buy extra necks for just me. The intense turkey flavor of the necks is over the top, and consequently the cooking broth is ideal for the gravy and dressing.


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## Andy M. (Oct 23, 2019)

Kayelle said:


> I do the same. I love turkey neck meat, and often buy extra necks for just me. The intense turkey flavor of the necks is over the top, and consequently the cooking broth is ideal for the gravy and dressing.



Me too!!  Turkey neck, giblets, heart. My favorite parts that no one else cares for.


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