I could probably make spaghetti 100 ways, 100 days in a row and not get tired of it. I love Yaya's spaghetti. Add some cheese and pop it in the oven and it's a whole different meal. Top it with pepperoni and you've got pizza baked spaghetti. Switch out the sausage for ground beef or turkey, turn the meat into meatballs, or fry up some chicken to go alongside the pasta... all acceptable modifications.
So with all of the creative ways to make spaghetti, why did I never think to add Laughing Cow cheese? I mean, it makes a great snack on crackers and apple slices and adds a boost of flavor when mixed into mashed potatoes, but it never crossed my mind to put it in spaghetti. Now I'm left wondering how else I can use these magical, creamy wedges.
We've had this meal twice now and it's been fantastic both times. It's a cinch to put together and you won't have to spend your whole evening in the kitchen.
Spaghetti Pie with Laughing Cow Cheese
Source: adapted from Fantastical Sharing
1 lb spaghetti
1 lb sausage (you could use ground beef or turkey but I like the taste of sausage in my spaghetti)
1 (24 oz) jar spaghetti sauce (any kind you like, this time I used Kroger brand tomato and basil sauce)
2 wedges Laughing Cow cheese (tonight I used garlic and herb)
8 oz mozzarella, shredded
8 oz mozzarella, shredded
4 oz Parmesan cheese, grated
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and spray a 9x13 baking dish with vegetable oil spray.
Cook the spaghetti according to the package directions, drain, and set aside.
Place the pot back on the stove over medium heat and brown the sausage.
Once the sausage is cooked through add the sauce, stir, and reduce the heat to low.
Add the Laughing Cow cheese wedges and try to blend them into the sauce as well as possible.
Add the spaghetti back to the pot and stir to coat with the sauce.
Add about 3/4 of the mozzarella and all of the Parmesan cheese and toss to combine.
Pour the entire mixture into the prepared baking dish and spread as evenly as possible.
Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella over the top. Bake for 15 minutes, until the cheese on top begins to bubble.
Serve warm with salad and garlic toast.
Our cousin, Toby, married a very young lady. Young was the operative word. She was in her mid teens, though she told him she was in her late teens. She hadn't gotten around to learning how to cook as her mom did the cooking. So when it turned out she didn't know how, Toby taught her the dish he knew, spaghetti. She cooked it every night for an entire week. But not to worry, she made it her mission to learn to cook and she became one to the best cooks in the family. Now, her grandson is a grad of one of the famous chef schools and he is opening his own restaurant. He knows gourmet cooking, but his restaurant will be featuring homestyle country cooking, comfort food, the kind his grandma made. The kind you are featuring today. It runs in the family.
ReplyDeleteThat's a lovely story! I try to share a little bit of everything from basic techniques and comfort foods to more sophisticated meals and desserts but most importantly I always share the food that my family eats. I just want everyone to be able to eat the food that I love.
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