Mexican Spaghetti

I first learned about Mexican Spaghetti when I was about 13. Almost 30 years later, I came across it again. (Watch the video for more on this.) What I loved about this dish is that it combines two of my favorite cuisines: Mexican and Italian.

While the recipe below is meatless, you can easily add a pound of ground beef to it and perhaps adjust the spices a little to accommodate it.

So, without further ado, let’s take a look at the video and recipe below.

Watch on You Tube

Ingredients:

Olive oil
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons cilantro
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
2 teaspoons oregano
1 healthy pinch of salt
1 large can (about 29 oz.) tomato sauce
1 small can tomato paste
2 cans (about 10 oz.) chopped tomatoes and green chiles
1 small can (about 4 oz.) chopped green chiles

Instructions:

Heat large pot over medium-low heat. When warm, add about two tablespoons of oil and let warm.

Add all spices to oil, stirring until all spices are wet. Add a little more oil if needed to wet all spices. Reduce heat to low, and let spices get to know the oil and infuse it with flavor for about five minutes. Keep heat low enough that oil doesn’t sizzle.

Add tomato paste to pot and turn heat up to medium. Using a spoon or other implement, mash it down so that it covers the bottom of the pot. Don’t just let it sit there in a glob. Let the paste heat up for a few minutes, but when it starts to sizzle, continue to the next step.

Add tomato sauce, chopped tomatoes and green chiles, and chopped green chiles. Stir to combine, then let simmer for at least thirty minutes. (Personally, I like to let the sauce simmer for several hours so the flavors really combine.) Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Remember, a simmer is just a few bubbles and no more.

When it’s time to eat, serve sauce over spaghetti or other noodles of your choice (bow ties or penne, e.g.). Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the top. You could also top it with a little mozzarella, or chopped cilantro for a dash of color.

Serve with more Parmesan cheese and crushed red peppers, if desired.

Notes:

You’ll notice in the video I mention that I was out of tomato paste the day I taped, so I just omitted it. You can do the same if you have to. Don’t get all nervous, OK?

Speaking of tomato paste, the thing about adding it to the pan ahead of everything else is a little trick I learned a while back. I don’t know why or how it works, but this reduces the metallic taste the paste can get from the can. Just something to remember whenever you use tomato paste.

Feel free to add ground beef (or chicken, etc.) to this recipe. Keep in mind, however, that you may want to adjust (add to) the seasonings if you do.

Serve this with a nice salad, perhaps with some avocado to continue the Mexican theme, and a good loaf of bread.

Have fun with this twist on Mexican fare, and let me know in the comments below how it went, as well as any changes/additions you made to the recipe. And above all,

Play with your food!

Lane

Check out my Mexican recipes here.

Did you like this recipe? What recipes would you like to learn? Leave me a comment and tell me your thoughts! (And don’t forget to LIKE this post!) Share it using the tiles below.

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