Sunday - Spaghettini in Meat Sauce with Italian Sausage

Regardless of the heat and humidity - I HAVE to make a meal today. No more one-skillet meals to "cheat" in this weather.

While it is too hot for baking, I left quite early to get to the market and I picked up two loaves of Italian bread to go with our meal today. I would have loved to bake bread today - but I just can't do it in this heat.

Promises of rain from the weatherman are just that - promises - and no rains.


Since I have to cook - I am going to make enough for two days and of course, there is a method to my madness - if I can get a third meal somehow with something - by George, I'm gonna do it.


I took some rope-style Italian Sausage out of the freezer before I ran to the market, and it was almost thawed out in that short time I was gone (less than 20 minutes!)



I cut the sausage into links, and skillet-fried in a bit of olive oil.



Once fried, I added my ground chuck - seasoned with Kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper, fennel, garlic, onion powder, parsley.



When the ground chuck was fried, I added:
1 can (29 oz.) tomato puree
1 can (6 oz.) tomato paste
1 can (14 1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes
1 can (29 oz.) water (almost full)

Seasoned with Kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper, onion powder, chili powder, marjoram, basil, garlic, parsley, pinch Italian seasoning, fresh grated Pecorino Romano and a pinch of sugar - all to taste.

Covered and let simmer while I was waiting for my water to boil for my spagettini #9.

Once the water boiled, I added my Kosher salt, waited for the water to return to a full boil, and cooked my spaghettini al dente.



While the spaghettini was cooking, I assembled a quick salad of lettuce, tomato, and sliced pepperoncini peppers in my homemade vinaigrette.



A platter full of spaghettini in meat sauce - and enough Italian sausage so that we can have Italian sausage on Italian bread sammies later.



Topped with a bit of fresh grated Pecorino Romano.

And I've got more than a quart of homemade meat sauce that I have cooling in the refrigerator, and I will bottle that up tomorrow and I'll have it for another meal that I'll be able to put together in no time! And I have more than enough spaghettini for tomorrow's dinner! Later on - Italian sausage bombers with grated cheese! No complaints from anyone with this meal today!

I told you there was a method to my madness!