This recipe is based on an old Italian recipe that I’ve adapted somewhat to suite my particular mood. Ill go over the basics, and then detail what I added to spice things up.
To begin, I put about 1/4 a cup of vegetable oil and 1/8th of a cup of balsamic vinegar in a deep, nonstick frying pan and began to warm on slightly less than medium heat. Next I peeled and finely chopped one half of a medium sized red onion. I also peeled and ‘crushed’ 5 cloves of garlic. I added these to the pan, and cooked for about 2 – 3 minutes (you just want to brown the garlic a bit).
Next, I took just about a pound of ground chuck, and chopped it up a bit more than it comes in the package. I added this to the pan when the garlic started to turn brown. Now comes the fun part. To the meat, garlic and onion mixture, I added the juice of 1/2 a fresh lemon, about 2 tablespoons of cinnamon, 2 1/2 tablespoons of garlic salt, oregano, basil, parsley and black pepper. Then I began to sauté the meat for about 5 or 6 minutes (until it begins to brown).
When the meat started turning color, I added 1 medium size can each of (unseasoned) tomato paste and diced tomatoes. I used the brand Hunts — if that makes a difference to you.
Constantly stirring, I cooked this mixture for about 7-8 minutes, and added spices as needed. (I ended up adding an additional tablespoon of each of the previous ingredients (black pepper, garlic salt, oregano, basil and parsley). I also added another tablespoon of balsamic vinegar, 2 cups of water and 1 tablespoon of salt of celery.
At this point I began saut̩ing some chopped whitecap mushrooms in a separate pan with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the juice from the final half of the lemon. I also started cooking 1/2 a package of linguini. After saut̩ing the mushrooms for 5 minutes, I added them to the sauce and simmered for another 7 Р8 minutes, until the pasta was a little past al-dente.
I combined all the ingredients in one pot and served.
Most to all of these ingredients can be found in everyone’s kitchen, and the salt of celery is optional. If you hadn’t already guessed, the balsamic vinegar and the lemon contrast the sweetness of the tomatoes and cinnamon perfectly. Some grilled or sautéed chicken could easily be added and blend well with the flavors involved.
Enjoy!
