An Italian Favourite

What food would you say is your specialty?

By Tracy Schruder

The food that I would say is my specialty is my homemade spaghetti sauce! It brings out my Italian side when cook it. I start my sauce with a batch of fresh plum tomatoes. After they are boiled down, I start adding my secret blend of special herbs and spices. Most of which I’ve grown or made myself.

I can’t share my herb and spice recipe because – like an old Italian mob boss might say, “You could be dining with the fishes!” As the old saying goes, “if I tell you I’d have to kill you!” 😂

Whoa, that’s funny, my Italian side just manifested. Yes, a tiny side note to proclaim that I have Italian blood running through my veins. My great grandmother was a Carbino, and anyone who’s watched a good mob movie knows that name.

Back to the sauce – After blending my tomato base with my secret herbs and spices, I brown up some medium ground beef. Once combined, I then cook up some red bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, sweet onion, and garlic separately for a few minutes or until the onions are soft. I put it all together with a can of tomato paste and simmer it all day until super time.

Next, I make up my garlic butter. This is done by wrapping a clove of garlic, drizzling it with some olive oil in tin foil, and roasting it in the oven for fifteen to twenty minutes or until the garlic pops out of the skins with no effort. I mince it and add it to a half pound of room temp butter and add some parsley. I toast Italian bread and cover it in the garlic butter I prepared. Then I grate some mozzarella cheese and put it in the toast, then it’s in the oven to broil until the cheese is browned.

I put a pot water on the stove with a tablespoon of olive oil and some salt and bring it to a boil. I add the pasta. I use spaghettini because it’s delicious and only takes eight minutes to cook – the same amount of time as the garlic bread takes to brown up in the oven.

Add a healthy helping of Parmesan Cheese, sprinkled on top to finish off this tasty meal.

This is always a hit meal for my family. I’ve made it for my extended family as well, and everyone, even my sister who doesn’t like tomatoes, loves it.