"Sweet & Spicy Chunky 'Spaghetti'"

John and I had not been married long. I worked my own day job, while my husband worked night shift, three nights a week at the Mental Health Facility of a hospital. I was tired, he was tired, we were out of groceries, and we were starving. In our cupboards were just the staples--things my mother taught me to never run out of, no matter what. Among them, that could yield quick suppertime results, were frozen burgers, but no buns; tomato soup, but we were hungrier than that; a can of Rotel, but no Velveeta; linguine noodles, but no makings for Alfredo sauce; and the emergency can of tomato paste that Momma insisted I would need someday, though I'd had no use for it yet. 

Growing up in the country, grocery stores were not just around the corner. When I was taught to cook, I was taught improvisation in the extreme. What do you do when you need buttermilk for the pie you have halfway mixed and just realized you don't have it? You mix regular milk with vinegar. What do you do when the chicken casserole calls for more chicken than you have? Mix in a can of cream of chicken soup. These are just a few examples, and I'm sure every family has their own versions. The point is that my mind has been trained to look at ingredients and compute the edible items I can make out of them. Call it a gift. Call it military training borne out of perceived starvation.

So, on that dreary day when my husband needed supper and neither of us had energy to grocery shop, "Sweet & Spicy Chunky 'Spaghetti'" was born.



Sweet & Spicy Chunky 'Spaghetti'

1 can of tomato soup
1 can of Rotel
1 (6 oz) can of tomato paste
4 frozen burger patties OR 1 lb of ground beef (for less chunky)
1 pkg of uncooked linguine noodles
1 tbsp dried oregano (optional)
1 tbsp dried basil (optional)

Begin boiling linguine in a pot of water with olive oil and salt until al dente. Brown burger patties (or ground beef) in a large skillet. Once browned, drain off grease and return to pan. If using patties, cut them into bite-sized chunks. Add tomato soup, Rotel, and tomato paste. Add 1 tbsp oregano and 1 tbsp basil. Cook on low, stirring occasionally, until warm.  Drain linguine (and if desired, toss with 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp of salt, 1 tbsp of lemon juice, 1 tsp of oregano, and 1 tsp of basil.) Toss sauce with linguine and serve.



What I love about this recipe is not only the sweet flavor of the soup with the spicy flavor of the Rotel and the flatness of the linguine (I have issues with actual spaghetti noodles, blame my mother), but also the fact that each of these ingredients could be part of many other recipes. I've learned to keep these ingredients on hand at all times, so I know I always have at least one thing I can make. In fact, it's when I run out of one of these that I know it's time to grocery shop again... something I have gotten better at, you'll be pleased to hear. I think this is the perfect recipe for every young married couple, college kid, and bachelor with a stinky bachelor pad. So, "Stick with me, and you'll never go hungry again!" (Please, somebody, get the reference!)