Simple "Impress Your Lover" Recipe #1: Pasta With Savory Meat Sauce

This is the first of MANY recipes I'll be posting that anybody with an IQ of -35 can do when they want to bring their hunnie over for dinner. These recipes are delicious and super simple that there is NO WAY you can mess it up.



Pasta With Savory Meat Sauce

Items Needed:
1 - Medium sized onion (NO RED)
1 - Medium sized GREEN pepper
1 - Pack of hamburger around 2 pounds (you can pick any kind, I prefer "chuck" because of the fat content)

1 - Large OR 2 - Regular sized jars of pasta sauce (AVOID "plain" or "traditional" flavors, I would suggest going for something with a mild, but not overwhelming flavor like "Mushroom", "Garden Variety", or "Four Cheese", best brands are Prego, Ragu, or Great Value/Wal-Mart brand)

1 - 16 ounce box of pasta (Angel Hair is what I prefer but you can use whatever pasta you deem fit)

1 - Cooking pan to brown your hamburger in
1 - Pot to boil your pasta in
1 - Pot to shimmer your sauce in
1 - Bowl (to put your onion and pepper in)
1 - Strainer (or something you can seperate your pasta from the water with, you can also slowly drain the water from the pot by using the lid to hold back the pasta while you tilt the pan over)

- Butter OR Olive Oil (OR Whatever you use to grease your cooking pan)
- "Italian" Seasoning
- Seasoned Meat Tenderizer
- "Garlic & Pepper" Seasoning
- Salt (For seasoning your water ONLY)
- Parmesan Cheese (to sparkle on top when you are ready to eat it)

Directions:

1) Cut your onion and pepper up so that there are no pieces bigger than a half an inch/your pinkie finger's nail. Place in bowl.

2) In your cooking pan, put the pan on high heat and melt your butter. Once the pan is hot enough (which you can check by wetting hand lightly and shaking the water off into the pan, if it sizzles when the water hits, it's hot enough), add your pepper and onion. Turn the stove down to medium heat and let them cook until the onions are a medium brown color. Remove from the pan and place to the side for later. NOTE: You have to watch the pan closely! The pepper and onions can burn easily if left unmoved for 6-8 minutes.

3) With the stove still on medium heat, add your hamburger to the pan (the pan should still be well greased from the peppers and onions PLUS hamburger makes its own juices). Season your meat with the Meat Tenderizer, Garlic & Pepper, and Italian seasoning. (DO NOT use salt to season your hamburger. Trust me on this one! There will be enough salt in the sauce and in the seasonings you used to give it a good taste.) Cook the meat until it is brown and thoroughly broken up.

4) Place the browned meat, peppers, onions, and pasta sauce into a pot and set the stove for medium-low heat. Add a little extra Italian seasoning and mix until well stirred. Cover and let cook for roughly 45 minutes, stirring it about every 10 minutes. If you notice that the hamburger is sticking to the bottom of the pot, turn the heat down a little more.

5) Fill your other pot with water and set the stove on high heat. Add a few teaspoons of salt to the water and cover. Bring the water to a boiling point, making sure that it has been boiling for 5 minutes. Add your pasta and cook it for the time directed on the box. Remove from pot using the strainer.

Ending Notes And Tips:

- Freshly cooked pasta has the best flavor so don't cook your pasta until your date has arrived. They will love seeing you in action in the kitchen!

- The dish is best served with a light salad and a hearty bread (garlic bread is always a classic)

- The PERFECT dessert to match with this meal is warm apple pie a la mode/with ice-cream on top, which you can pick up fresh and already made from your local Wal-Mart or grocery store

- The sauce is sooo simple and flavorful that you can cook it up to 24 hours before your date arrives. Just leave it out on the stove when you're done (or if you are going to make it over 8 hours in advance, put it in the fridge), when your date arrives, you can re-warm it up on the stove while you cook the pasta!

- Red wine is the best drink to pair with this meal. Not into booze? No problem, pick up a bottle of sparkling grape juice or apple cider. Make sure to chill it in the fridge 24 hours before your date though. DO NOT freeze it!