As pasta dishes go, spaghetti is probably the easiest to prepare and is the most popular. However, there are only so many ways that anyone would want to eat this dish until it becomes boring. Here is a recipe that might cure the "Oh no, not spaghetti again!" blues. It is a recipe that is pasta in every sense of the word but borrows from the chili tradition.
Southwest Tex-Mex Spaghetti Pizza
One-half pound of ground chuck
One-half pound chorizo
One teaspoon of cumin
One teaspoon of oregano
One-half cup of chopped cilantro
One 28 ounce can of tomato sauce
One 6 ounce can of tomato paste
One 14 ounce can of black beans
One 14 ounce can of whole kernel corn
One small onion, finely chopped
One medium jalapeno, finely chopped with seeds removed
One medium green pepper, finely chopped
One 14 ounce can of stewed tomatoes and chiles
Juice from two limes
One package of flat, whole-grain spaghetti
One-fourth cup of butter or margarine
One egg
Sour cream
Picante or mole sauce
Shredded queso or mild cheddar cheese
Parmesan cheese
Place onion, peppers, chorizo and the ground chuck in a skillet, adding the herbs, browning well and draining any excess grease. Prepare the spaghetti according to the directions on the package, making sure to place a teaspoon of salt in the boiling water to deter the spaghetti from sticking. Drain fully.
In an appropriate-sized pot, place seasoned meat, tomato sauce, tomato paste, black beans and corn. Add the lime juice and blend together, heating thoroughly. Heat until just beginning to simmer and then remove from the heat.
Pre-heat the oven at 350 degrees. Mix the cooked spaghetti, butter or margarine and egg together thoroughly and place onto a greased pizza pan, arranging it so that it looks like "pizza dough." Carefully ladle the "ingredients" onto the arranged spaghetti, being careful there are no drips. Sprinkle generously with the shredded cheese, followed by some Parmesan cheese. Bake for about 10-12 minutes, until the outer edges are browned and the cheese has melted. The recipe will yield two or three pies.
To serve, skip the plates for large soup-style bowls, allowing the hungry folks to pile on sour cream and/or mole/picante sauce and shredded cheese. Since it is spaghetti, a light Pinot noir wine is great with this, and some great chocolate fudge brownies make a great dessert.