The Weeknight Special: Spaghetti Dinner

Thu, Oct 10, 24 | entertaining

by Robert Giles

I have always had a love of cooking, even at a young age. While I will often try new recipes, there is one dish that has been with me since I started cooking. Taking my family's basic recipe, I started changing little things based on my changing tastes throughout the years. Today, I have finally come up with my Weeknight Spaghetti Recipe that I love to make as a comfort meal or just for a nice friends and family dinner. Most of these items will be pantry staples so this should be just as easy for you to make as well.

When it comes to pairing wines with this dish, Banfi Centine is my first choice. This Tuscan blend is the perfect complement for spaghetti. Starting with the sangiovese grape, cabernet and merlot are blended in to give a medium bodied wine with a good tannin structure and strong fruit flavors. Red cherries and hints of vanilla finish with light, fresh herbs to make a red wine that pairs with nearly anything.

Sometimes I like to go with a nice cabernet as my pairing. Stellekaya Cabernet is wonderful in this regard. Coming from South Africa, this wine has a fantastic blend of black currant and cranberry with hints of cedar and a refreshing bell pepper finish. Strong tannins with a fuller body make this a great pairing for a hearty spaghetti dinner. This is also a fantastic wine if you are looking to start aging some wines as the balance of fruit and acidity make it a good candidate for aging.

For something a little heartier, I will pick up a bottle of Les Chasses des Princes Gigondas. This southern Rhone wine is a conventional blend consisting of granche and syrah. With strong red fruit notes and hints of anise, thyme, and rosemary, this is a great wine to pair with a strong tomato sauce. Strong but smooth tannins help this wine to elevate the sauce and accentuate the smokiness of the bacon.

Whichever route you go on the pairing, this dish will be an easy weeknight favorite. Bringing the family together with a filling hearty dinner is great way to enjoy this classic pairing without spending all night in the kitchen. Add in a side salad and garlic bread and this can become your new go-to.

Cin cin!

Weeknight Spaghetti Dinner

1 small onion, finely diced
1 stalk of celery, finely diced
1 medium carrot, finely diced
½ green pepper, finely diced
3-5 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tsp. oregano
2 tsp. thyme
2 tsp. rosemary
½ tsp. red chili flakes
½ lb. Italian sausage
½ lb. ground beef
3 strips of thick bacon, chopped
(1) 15 oz. can crushed tomato
(1) 15 oz. can tomato sauce
3 Tbsp. tomato paste

DIRECTIONS

On medium high heat brown the ground beef and Italian sausage, then remove from pan.
Cook the bacon until just crisp, then add onion, celery, carrot, red chili flakes, and green pepper. Sauté until onions are translucent then add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
Add in the tomato paste and cook until fragrant.
Return the beef and sausage to the pan along with the crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce. Stir in oregano, thyme, and rosemary.
Bring sauce to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes and serve over al dente pasta.

By robert@colonialwineshop.com