Curried Spaghetti Sauce

Photographer and writer.

Dinner (2274) Family (1525) Pasta (281) Indian (223) Italian (218) Tomatoes (202) Beef (175) Curry (173) Spicy (145)

This fusion of Italian and East Indian is pure heaven for those who love spicy foods. It has all the makings of a traditional Italian sauce but spiced up with a tablespoon of curry and calypso sauce. It also makes enough to feed a small army, or large family.

Making large batches of any sauce can be an undertaking, but this meat sauce keeps well in the fridge for 48 hours and freezes well. This makes it an ideal choice for lunches to take to work, or a supper for small family who wish to have some leftovers.

Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 25 minutes
Makes: 4-8 servings

Ingredients

Sauce
3 celery stalks
1 white onion
1 red bell pepper
1 pound of ground beef
1 396ml can of tomato sauce
1 19 ounce can of diced tomatoes
3 dried bay leaves
1 tsp calypso sauce or other hot sauce (optional, but recommended)
3 cloves of garlic
2 tsp of lime juice

Spice Mix
1/8 tsp cayenne
1/8 tsp celery salt
1/8 tsp allspice
¼ tsp white pepper
¼ tsp black pepper
¼ tsp thyme
¼ tsp rosemary
½ tsp granulated garlic
½ tbs oregano
1 tsp basil
1 tbs curry

Method

Combine all the spices for the spice mix in a bowl and set aside.

Dice the celery, onion and bell pepper. Set aside.

Cook the beef in a deep cooking pan over medium heat until the meat is no longer pink.

Add the celery, onion and bell pepper. Continue to cook over medium heat for five more minutes or until the onion is clear and fragrant.

Mix in the spice mix and stir continuously for one minute to fully coat the meat and veggies.

Add the diced tomatoes and allow to simmer for two minutes.

Add the tomato sauce, and bay leaves. Press the garlic through a press and mix into the sauce. Allow to simmer for 10 minutes or until the sauce has reached a satisfactory thickness.

Serve over spaghetti, angel hair or vermicelli noodles. Shredded cheese also makes an excellent garnish or accent. Each cheese will change the flavour of the dish differently. The favourites in our house are marble and fresh parmesan.