The reason this dish is so great

In this instructable you will learn how to make very good spaghetti with meat sauce. This meal can be completed by the most entry level chiefs. This is also a great meal to do with kids. It will teach them how to make pasta which is a very valuable skill to learn. It requires very few ingredients and takes little time or effort to prepare. This meal is always a crowd pleaser. So if you’re looking for a fast way to spice up your spaghetti or just a great meal, this is the recipe for you. I can assure you that you have all the necessary skills to make this recipe the right way, and to make it taste great.

Time required – 20-30 minutes

The time required includes the time required to make the pasta.

Sides that go great with this dish:

• Garlic bread

• Salad

Before attempting this recipe you should thoroughly read through each step to ensure you know the procedure.

Step 1: Gather Ingredients and Cooking Utensils

These ingredients are common products and can be found at any grocery store.

Ingredients

• Spaghetti - Any brand of regular spaghetti will work. I prefer to use a step up form angel hair so it has more substance. But you should make this recipe with whatever noodles you like.

• Sugar - Any brand of fine grain sugar will work.

• Johnsonville Italian Sausage - The sausage is what will make or break your meal so pick it wisely. If you pick a hotter sausage your sauce will be hot. If you pick a sweeter sausage your sauce will be sweeter. You can also buy any brand of sausage. You may opt to go to the meat counter in the meat department at your local grocery store. If you go this route be sure to get 1 lb of the sausage of your choosing. I prefer to use the prepackaged mild or sweet Johnsonville Italian sausage. This way I know it will taste the same every time.

• Spaghetti sauce/tomato sauce - You can go one of two ways with this. Either buy the large 24 oz bottle of spaghetti sauce or you can purchase to cans of regular tomato sauce.

Next you will need to locate the following cooking utensils. All of these items should be familiar to even a beginner cook.

Cooking utensils

• Large pot - You will need this to cook your noodles in.

• Medium pan - This will be used to cook the sausage, later you will add the tomato sauce to it.

Tip: Don’t use a pan with a large diameter as this may cause your sauce to burn easier.

• Strainer - This will be used to strain the noodles.

• Plate

• Knife

• Fork

• Cutting Board - The cutting board is optional because you may choose to cut the skin from the sausage over the pan. But if you feel more comfortable cutting with a cutting board that’s fine too.

Step 2: Preparing the Sausage

Caution: Before handling any food, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water to prevent any bacteria from getting into the food.

1. At this point you are ready to begin preparing the sausage. First open the packaging that the sausage has come in. In this case I have chosen to make this recipe with the prepackaged mild Johnsonville sausage. Once you get the package open, you will see that they have a skin on the outside. Take the sausage in one hand with the crown down. Then take the knife and cut through the skin the length of the sausage.

Caution: Knifes are sharp be careful not to cut yourself.

Tip: Holding the sausage crown down will allow you to make the cut easier with one pass of the knife.

2. Once you have made the cut the length of the sausage grab the skin and pull it off. The sausage will remain intact; now place it in the pan. Follow this procedure for the remainder of the sausages. If you have bought the sausage from the meat counter you will not need to do this step. You may simply open the packaging and place it in the pan.

3. Turn the burner on your stove on to medium heat. Take the pan and place it on the burner. As the sausage cooks you will need to break it up with the spatula into smaller pieces. Cook the sausage until it is no longer pink. Be sure to stir the meat frequently to ensure that it is cooking evenly. Letting it cook unattended for a long duration will cause the sausage to burn to the pan.

Caution: Pan will get hot be careful not to burn yourself.

Step 3: Adding the Tomato Sauce and Sugar

1. Now that the sausage is fully cooked you can add the tomato sauce. Open the bottle and pour the sauce in the pan with the sausage. Use the spatula to mix the sauce and sausage together evenly.

2. After you have mixed the sausage and sauce together evenly you can add the sugar. There is no right amount, this is done to taste. Add small amounts at a time. The main theme of this sauce is sweet so add the sugar until it is the right sweetness for you.

3. After all the ingredients have been added to the sauce turn the heat down to low and allow it to simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. This will allow the sauce to have a nice even taste throughout as well as thicken it up a little bit.

Tip: If you are going to have garlic bread with this meal now would be a good time to put it in the oven. Most garlic bread takes 10 -15 minutes to cook.

Step 4: Cooking the Noodles

A good time to start the noodles is right after you have added your last ingredient to the sauce and are letting it simmer.

Caution: Pan will be hot be careful not to burn yourself.

Caution: Boiling water can cause severe burns if it comes in contact with your skin. Be careful not to get the water on you.

1. Start by filling your large pot half full of water.

2. Turn the burner on the stove to medium heat.

3. Wait for the water to come to a rolling boil.

4. Open box of noodles and take out a handful. The amount of noodles you will end up with when finished can be deceiving. A hand of noodles or about 3/4 of the box will be enough noodles for 3 to 4 people.

5. Place the noodles in the boiling water.

6. Take a pair of tongs and stir the noodles occasionally.

7. After about ten minutes take a noodle from the pot and sample it to check to see if they are done. When you bite into the noodles they should be very tender, if they are still firm let them go until they become tender.

8. Once they are done place your strainer in the sink and dump the pot of noodles in.

Caution: Steam from boiling water will be hot, don't burn yourself.

9. Rinse the noodles with hot water. This is done to prevent your noodles from being sticky. Skipping this step may result in a big ball of sticky noodles.

Step 5: Place on Dish and Serve

You have just completed the meal. Now it is time to sit down with your guests and enjoy it. I hope you thought this was an easy and fun process. You are now ready to serve your meal. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

1. Place a serving of your noodles on a plate.

2. Take a serving of the sauce you made and place it on top of the noodles.

3. You are now finished. Enjoy! You did great!

Tip: To mix this meal up, don’t be afraid to try a different kind of sausage.