I did a quck meal prep with Spaghetti with meat and mushrooms. This is an easy dish that gets better as it simmers or the ingredients get to sit together in the fridge. It also freezes pretty well. Best if cooked in one pot to ensure easy cleanup.
Ingredients.
- 1 pound of ground beef
- 1 whole onion chopped
- 1 diced carrot or about 1 tablespoon of sugar if you prefer.
- Garlic as much as you like
- 2 cans of tomato sauce
- 2 cans of roasted tomatoes
- 2 cans of sliced mushrooms or fresh if you have them.
- 1 teaspoon of oregano
- 1 tablespoon Italian Sesoning blend (Thyme, basail, Oregano)
Cooking instructions:
It is a simple brown and simmer. Brown the ground beef with a bit of salt and pepper to taste. Skim excess grease, and then add the Onions and cook until translucent. Add the garlic during the last bit of onion cooking and cook garlic slightly. Add the dry seasonings so the oil and heat can activate them. Add the diced carrots, which I use as a replacement seasoning for raw sugar and to add a bit of texture. The sweetness is used to cut the acidity of the tomato based sauce. Finally add the Tomato sauce and canned tomatoes. and simmer for at least 45 minutes util carrots are very tender but firm.
Stop cooked pasta.
This is a restaurant trick that helps make mid week dining quick and easy. Cook the noodles per package instructions reducing time to ensure “al dente” cooking, and then drain and dunk in cold water bath. This stops the cooking and removes the starch that causing sticking. The pasta can then be portions in containers or plastic bags.
I worked in a restaurant that stop cooked its pasta for dishes. It was portioned into bags and stored in the cold box, and microwaved until steaming as needed. The sauce was added just prior to serving guest. It makes for consistent pasta quality and texture on a busy serving line. It can also be kept in bags in a Sous Vide bath if service is that busy for that dish. Since this was not a restaurant specializing in pasta dishes . it allowed it to serve consistent pasta dishes without having to waste kitchen space for pasta cooking pot.