paghetti bolognese bowl

Today is Spaghetti Day!

Spaghetti - Pinterest

How to Celebrate today

When on a budget my default dishes are Spaghetti Bolognese and Carbonara. I always sleep well after a hearty dish. Today it’s Spaghetti Day so I am planning on cooking this dish which will last two days.

Spaghetti Bolognese is probably one of my favourite dishes and is so simple. I usually add some extra spices to the mincemeat and like to simmer in the juices for it to be really tasty. It’s best not to rush this dish for the best results.

History of Spaghetti Day

Many people don’t know that the first historical reference to boiled noodles suggests that the Arabs invented the dish thousands of years ago, long before it became a staple of Italian cuisine.

The first Western pasta was likely long, thin forms made in Sicily around the 12th century; till this day, spaghetti is the most common round-rod type of pasta and in Italian, “spaghetti” means “little lines.” However, the popularity of pasta only spread across the whole country of Italy after the establishment of pasta factories in the 19th century, substantially shortening the time needed for making dishes like spaghetti and enabling the mass production of pasta for the Italian market.


My favourite spaghetti dishes:

Spaghetti Bolognese

One of my favourite dishes! I actually like my foods quite spicy so I add extra chilli flakes and spices, but do a Spaghetti Bolognese however you prefer. I think of it as eating a dish the night before, which can then be taken into work the next day to save on costs. Apparently (something I learned whilst writing this article) a true Bolognese includes two meats: beef and pork. However for the purpose of us broke girls in the city, I would suggest going for one unless you are cooking for a number of guests too. Many people including myself have rushed a bolognese but it does taste better if you leave it to simmer 1-2 hours to get the optimum taste. You can, of course, buy a Ragu sauce (or whatever is on offer that day) to add an extra sauce!

Ingredients:

  • Spaghetti
  • 200g Mince
  • Tomato concentrate
  • Onion (small)
  • Garlic (2 cloves)
  • Carrots (optional)
  • Courgettes (optional)
  • Celery (optional)
  • Wine (optional)
  • Stock
  • Ragu bolognese sauce (optional)

How-to guide:

  1. Massage the meats in a bowl and cook until browned
  2. Chop up the vegetables depending and add to the meat
  3. Start cooking the pasta
  4. Add wine. I usually work on the model – one for the food & one for me!
  5. Add tomato concentrate and the sauce although this is optional
  6. Add stock to ensure that the meat doesn’t dry up and burn
  7. Simmer but keep stirring for a couple of hours if possible.
  8. It’s time to eat!

Spaghetti Carbonara

My grandfather taught me how to book this dish. I love it and if ever I am eating out I will choose between this or lasagna. You can choose to use onions, but when I am eating on a budget I try to keep the ingredients to a minimum. However, if you look to buy your food in the evenings, a lot of items are reduced in supermarkets. In this video, it asks you to buy Pancetta but I always buy whatever is the cheapest! I also don’t use onions and garlic (to keep prices down and also because I am sensitive to both). However, feel free to add to your dish.

Ingredients:

  • Spaghetti
  • Bacon
  • Egg
  • Single cream
  • Grated parmesan cheese

How-to guide:

  1. Cut up the bacon into little pieces & put into a heated pan
  2. Add the onion and garlic to the bacon if required
  3. Start cooking the pasta in a separate saucepan
  4. Break open the eggs
  5. Drain the cream into the eggs
  6. Once the bacon is cooked add the pasta into the pan
  7. Add the eggs/cream and stir
  8. Voila! your carbonara dish is served