How Do YOU Make Spaghetti?

I don't think I've ever made spaghetti the same way twice!
There is always a little more of this (cheese) or a little less of that (veggies).
The cheese varies according to what I have on hand... as do the veggies (I sometimes add mushrooms, olives, and/or bell pepper).
Even the cans of tomato products (sauce, crushed tomatoes, stewed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, etc.) are constantly changed up.

One thing that doesn't change much is the fact that we eat spaghetti almost every week.
Most of us in our family have our own specific way that we like it.
OK... that's two things. But still...

As I was making our spaghetti last week, I wondered how other people like to make their spaghetti. I decided that I would take pics of mine and blog about it. Then, hopefully, others would share with me how they like theirs. I am open to trying something new!

Here's how I made it last week.

My husband said that I need to remember this way, because he really liked it! Good thing I chose this time to write it down!

(I apologize in advance for the quality of my pictures.
It was too dark.
I use my phone for for pics.
It has no flash.
I need a real camera. *sigh*)


Spaghetti My Way

What You Need:


Chopped, fresh garlic (I used 5 cloves)
1 lb mild Italian sausage
cheese (I used medium cheddar and Asiago)
large can of tomato sauce
smaller can of ready-cut tomatoes
a packet of Italian Style Spaghetti Sauce Mix
Spaghetti Noodles

What You Do:

Put the garlic and the sausage in the pan and cook it up. I sometimes add a little bacon grease here because... well, because bacon grease makes everything better. Right?

Cook it over medium high heat.
Make sure you get the meat all nice and browned.

You can add other veggies here if you like.

Now add a handful of cheese.


















Maybe a little more...

Next, cook it all up together and get that nice cooked cheese flavor infused into the meat. Yum!









After it is cooked in, add the cut tomatoes. Where's my picture?
I can't find it, but as you can see, I did add them.



Next comes the seasoning packet.
Get it nice and mixed in there.
Let it cook for a minute or two.












We like a lot of cheese, so I added a little more here.










See how it gets creamier? Yum!













Now add the tomato sauce.
You're going to want to turn the heat down a bit, because it isn't fun getting splashed by hot tomato sauce.










Stir it in and let it heat up a bit, then give it a taste. I like to add a dash of Italian seasonings and a splash of balsamic vinegar right now.

Let it simmer while you fix the rest of your dinner.




Cook up your pasta in some boiling water with a little olive oil and some salt.

I made steamed broccoli and carrots and some cheesy garlic bread (that I cooked up on the stove top... I'll share that little recipe soon. It was a HUGE hit!) to go with it, this time.

Once everything is finished the sauce has probably simmered for a good 30 minutes. It's ready to serve.
Sometimes we just put the noodles on our plates and top them with the sauce. This time, I mixed it in, threw it all back in the pan with a little more cheese (I told you we love cheese), and fried it up a little. Well, that's how some of us had it-  my husband, our oldest daughter, a and I did. Yum!

Everyone else in our family has their own favorite way that they eat spaghetti.

So... back to my original question...
How do YOU make spaghetti?