National Spaghetti Day - Recipes & Reviews

 Twirling spaghetti strands is such a satisfying way to eat. On National Spaghetti Day you can twirl away with my many tasty recipes. Be sure to click on any recipe name to be redirected to the original recipe blog post for all the budget ingredients of yore and yummy details.

I get most of my pasta ingredients from the local Dollar Tree, protein from the bargain bin of Ralphs Supermarket, and veggies from Superior Grocers. My big splurge is a wedge of Parmesan Cheese.

You know how cheap spaghetti is to buy and quick to boil. I like mine al dente, so I shave off a minute or two of the cooking time. My recipes go from creamy to filled with fresh veggies, and tins of seafood.

Start with a basic Tomato Sauce, which is easy to do. You can buy it straight out of the can or make my Easy Tomato Sauce version.

I have a garden with a few fresh herbs like sage, but dried herbs are cheap and tasty enough for me. Other pasta sauce ingredients are the right price, too.

In the second month of my blogging way back in 2007, one of my first cheap$kate meals was Baby Clams & Spaghetti. 

They still sell small packs of Clams at my local Dollar Tree.

I kick the pasta sauce up a notch with the addition of sauteed bacon and some veggies, then finish it off with white wine and the baby clams -- all inexpensive ingredients (you only need a splash of wine - I used to get bottles for 99 cents when I created this recipe over a decade ago!)

I like Canned Sardines, and they add an intense flavor to Spaghetti. Add Canned Sardines at the end to heat through. I like the Sardines in large pieces, so I don't stir the Spaghetti too much, so the fish stays chunky. The recipe is made with Sardines in Tomato Sauce. You can use any budget canned Sardines.

Next, I have to say Pasta all Carbonara is near the top of my Spaghetti recipe list. Swirling bacon, parmesan, and creamy egg yolk through al dente spaghetti is my favorite pasta pastime. 

And my version uses cooked Bacon Bits from a small bag. You can use fresh sauteed bacon or pancetta if you like. 

If you mix the egg yolk into hot pasta the yolk thickens and cooks, maybe not enough to satisfy egg salmonella purist, but so far I have not had a problem. I gotta roll the dice sometimes for this decadent entree.

Mushroom and pasta belong together and my next Spaghetti dish has it all. 

Made with inexpensive sour cream instead of heavy cream, it turned out fine, so give my Creamy Mushrooms and Spaghetti a go.

My Nephew Zak is one hell of a cook working in kitchen joints since high school.

Pine nuts, mushrooms, artichoke hearts, and angel hair pasta or thin spaghetti, and you have the makings of a heck of a pasta dish to show off. Cajun-style Tuscan Primavera Pasta is a mouthful worth seconds.

Look at the Salami I still find it for a dollar and twenty-five cents! So you know I'm gonna come up with some cheap$kate recipes, and Salami & Spaghetti is a winner.

Of course, the recipe is deliciously simple to make by heating a little onion, garlic, and salami, then mixing in the cooked spaghetti with a little pasta water.

 

Pasta with Kale and that's about it. I saute the kale with a little garlic in olive oil.

You can't get creamier than a plate of Fettuccini Alfredo. And this recipe is a ripoff of the Olive Garden. 

All it is is heavy cream, half and half, or whipping cream, anyway you pour it. It is made with fettuccini, but you know it's easy enough to replace with spaghetti.

On the Cheap$kate Dining Scale of 1 to 9, 9 being best...well, click here to read what a perfect 9 tastes like.

And I got it for a buck. You don't run across Cheap$kale Deals like this these days, so this is a flashback recipe review. Hey, if you have to pay full price, it's still a decent deal.

I used to hate Brussels Sprouts, but now I love them, even mixed into pasta.

Brussels Sprouts in Pasta holds up well when sauteed soft in butter, but you can keep it vegan using olive oil instead.

My next Flashback Deal of the Day gets a high rating, and it's Lean Cuisine again.

You can't get more basic than Spaghetti with Meat Sauce. And it's got the right stuff in it.

It's not a lot, but every bite is spot on...for a cheap frozen meal.

A most decadent Spaghetti entrée is my meaty Pasta all Genovese. It is a wild combination of French Onion Soup and hearty meat sauce. Just cook the heck out of a pile of sliced cheap onions and a budget cut of beef. 

I like beef shank as it braises beautifully. My original recipe finished with penne pasta, but you can use spaghetti, of course.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts - VIDEO

The holiday season and Roasted Brussels Sprouts are a delicious combination. This is just a basic recipe, but there is a reason -- it's just plain good.

These pint-sized cabbages take on a nutty flavor when roasted. It's the difference between a boiled or baked potato -- I prefer mine baked.

My stop-motion animated recipe video is a short one. Because all I did was remove the old yellowed leaves and tough stems, slice the larger ones in half, drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and finish them off with a half-hour of roasting.

I also have another recipe, Brussels Sprouts in Spicy Sour Cream -- just click here.

With Christmas right around the corner, grab a bag of these edible ornaments to set out along with your roasted bird, and give the Grinchiest of Chef's recipes a try. So until you pick some up, allow me to entertain you with my animated recipe video, Roasted Brussels Sprouts.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts - VIDEO

Play it here. Video runs 1 minute, 41 seconds.

To view or embed from YouTube, click here.

Ingredients (2 servings as a side dish)

• 10 ounces Brussels Sprouts - or enough to fill a roasting pan. Whole and/or sliced in half, lengthwise.
• 2 tablespoons Olive Oil.
• Salt and Pepper to taste.

Directions
To prepare Brussels sprouts, remove any outer yellowed, old leaves.

Thinly slice off the stem ends. Cut Brussels sprouts in half lengthwise. You can leave the smaller ones whole -- I like to mix it up. Of course, you can just leave them all whole; they will be more tender in the middle.

Arrange into one layer on a baking sheet or pan. Drizzle Brussels sprouts with olive oil. You can slide around Brussels sprouts in the pan to coat all sides.

Sprinkle on salt and pepper to taste.

Cook uncovered in a 350-degree oven for about 30 minutes. Done when some of the Brussels Sprout leaves are lightly browned.

To make them more tender, just cover the baking Brussels sprouts with foil or use a baking dish with a cover. You may need to add an extra 10 minutes -- done when easily pierced with a fork or knife.

National Spaghetti Day - Recipes & Reviews

Twirling spaghetti strands is such a satisfying way to eat. On National Spaghetti Day you can twirl away with my many tasty recipes. Be sure to click on any recipe name to be redirected to the original recipe blog post for all the budget ingredients of yore and yummy details.

I get most of my pasta ingredients from the local Dollar Tree, protein from the bargain bin of Ralphs Supermarket, and veggies from Superior Grocers. My big splurge is a wedge of Parmesan Cheese.

You know how cheap spaghetti is to buy and quick to boil. I like mine al dente, so I shave off a minute or two of the cooking time. My recipes go from creamy to filled with fresh veggies, and tins of seafood.

Start with a basic Tomato Sauce, which is easy to do. You can buy it straight out of the can or make my Easy Tomato Sauce version.

I have a garden with a few fresh herbs like sage, but dried herbs are cheap and tasty enough for me. Other pasta sauce ingredients are the right price, too.

In the second month of my blogging way back in 2007, one of my first cheap$kate meals was Baby Clams & Spaghetti. 

They still sell small packs of Clams at my local Dollar Tree.

I kick the pasta sauce up a notch with the addition of sauteed bacon and some veggies, then finish it off with white wine and the baby clams -- all inexpensive ingredients (you only need a splash of wine - I used to get bottles for 99 cents when I created this recipe over a decade ago!)

I like Canned Sardines, and they add an intense flavor to Spaghetti. Add Canned Sardines at the end to heat through. I like the Sardines in large pieces, so I don't stir the Spaghetti too much, so the fish stays chunky. The recipe is made with Sardines in Tomato Sauce. You can use any budget canned Sardines.

Next, I have to say Pasta all Carbonara is near the top of my Spaghetti recipe list. Swirling bacon, parmesan, and creamy egg yolk through al dente spaghetti is my favorite pasta pastime. 

And my version uses cooked Bacon Bits from a small bag. You can use fresh sauteed bacon or pancetta if you like. 

If you mix the egg yolk into hot pasta the yolk thickens and cooks, maybe not enough to satisfy egg salmonella purist, but so far I have not had a problem. I gotta roll the dice sometimes for this decadent entree.

Mushroom and pasta belong together and my next Spaghetti dish has it all. 

Made with inexpensive sour cream instead of heavy cream, it turned out fine, so give my Creamy Mushrooms and Spaghetti a go.

My Nephew Zak is one hell of a cook working in kitchen joints since high school.

Pine nuts, mushrooms, artichoke hearts, and angel hair pasta or thin spaghetti, and you have the makings of a heck of a pasta dish to show off. Cajun-style Tuscan Primavera Pasta is a mouthful worth seconds.

Look at the Salami I still find it for a dollar and twenty-five cents! So you know I'm gonna come up with some cheap$kate recipes, and Salami & Spaghetti is a winner.

Of course, the recipe is deliciously simple to make by heating a little onion, garlic, and salami, then mixing in the cooked spaghetti with a little pasta water.

 

Pasta with Kale and that's about it. I saute the kale with a little garlic in olive oil.

You can't get creamier than a plate of Fettuccini Alfredo. And this recipe is a ripoff of the Olive Garden. 

All it is is heavy cream, half and half, or whipping cream, anyway you pour it. It is made with fettuccini, but you know it's easy enough to replace with spaghetti.

On the Cheap$kate Dining Scale of 1 to 9, 9 being best...well, click here to read what a perfect 9 tastes like.

And I got it for a buck. You don't run across Cheap$kale Deals like this these days, so this is a flashback recipe review. Hey, if you have to pay full price, it's still a decent deal.

I used to hate Brussels Sprouts, but now I love them, even mixed into pasta.

Brussels Sprouts in Pasta holds up well when sauteed soft in butter, but you can keep it vegan using olive oil instead.

My next Flashback Deal of the Day gets a high rating, and it's Lean Cuisine again.

You can't get more basic than Spaghetti with Meat Sauce. And it's got the right stuff in it.

It's not a lot but every bite is spot on...for a cheap frozen meal.

A most decadent Spaghetti entrée is my meaty Pasta all Genovese. It is a wild combination of French Onion Soup and hearty meat sauce. Just cook the heck out of a pile of sliced cheap onions and a budget cut of beef. 

I like beef shank as it braises beautifully. My original recipe finished with penne pasta, but you can use spaghetti, of course.