speedy gonzales spaghetti!
My husband is a Texan, and although his entire family has lived in the U.S. for many generations, his Mom's side of the family maintains a proud Mexican-American heritage. I happen to LOVE Mexican food! So when Arthur introduced me to his family's age-old version of "Mexican Spaghetti..." well, I was hooked! Here's a hearty version of an old family favorite, with a spicy, cheesy twist! Its key ingredient, cheddar cheese, was our inspiration for naming the dish after that famous Mexican Mouse!
prep time
25 Min
cook time
30 Min
method
---
yield
8 serving(s)
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef (preferably local grass-fed beef)
- 1 medium organic onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves organic garlic, minced
- 1 large egg, scrambled by fork in a dish
- 1 can organic tomato sauce, 30 oz
- 1 can organic tomato sauce, 15 oz
- 5 1/2 cups water
- - kosher salt & pepper to season
- 4 - 5 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 pounds organic spaghetti, regular
- 1 large block, sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
How To Make speedy gonzales spaghetti!
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Step 1Put flour in a small dish and set aside. Place ground beef in a large bowl and add chopped onion, garlic and egg. Knead ingredients into meat with your hands, taking care to mix them well throughout the ground beef. Set aside.
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Step 2In a large pot, add tomato sauce, water, salt, pepper and 2 tablespoons of chili powder. Heat and bring to a low simmer.
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Step 3With your hands, form medium-size meatballs with the ground beef. Drop into dish of flour and turn meatballs to coat lightly with the flour. Gently drop meatballs, one at a time, into the simmering sauce. Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of chili powder.
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Step 4Continue to simmer sauce and meatballs uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes. Sauce should be bubbling gently while meatballs cook. If preferred, more chili powder may be added to taste.
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Step 5Meanwhile, cook Spaghetti according to instructions on package. Drain and return to large pot. When spaghetti is cooked, use a pasta spoon to immediately place 1 to 2 cups of hot spaghetti noodles into deep bowls. Drop 3 to 4 meatballs into bowls on top of spaghetti pasta.
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Step 6Place at least 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar on top of meatballs and pasta in each bowl. Ladle about 3/4 to 1 cup of sauce over the cheese, meatballs and pasta. Cheese will melt from the sauce's heat. If desired, add another big pinch of cheddar to the top of each dish and serve immediately with hot, crusty garlic bread.
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Step 7To store leftovers, combine pasta, sauce and meatballs together in one container. Store shredded cheese separately. Re-heat the spaghetti, meatballs and sauce in a pot, and sprinkle lots of shredded cheese over each hot serving.
- Last Step: Don't forget to share! Post a picture of your finished recipe here and on your favorite social network. Don't forget to tag Just A Pinch and include #justapinchrecipes!
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