This ain't no authentic Italian (pronounced EYE-talian) cuisine. This is down-home, po' folks, good ol' fashioned 'Merican Sketti. The ingredients may be ghetto, but anyone who has tasted it can tell you how bitchin' it is.
For starters, let's get all our ingredients laid out and ready to go...
- 4 Packets of McCormick Think & Zesty Spaghetti Sauce Mix
- 7 cups water
- 4 6 oz cans tomato paste
- 2 lbs hot Italian sausage
- 5 oz pepperoni (diced)
- 8 oz sliced mushrooms
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon Italian Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Grated sharp cheddar and monterey jack cheese
- Parmesan cheese (canned)
Step 1: Brown the Italian sausage. While that's cooking up, dice your pepperoni and measure out all your ingredients. Once the sausage is browned, dump it in a colander to drain the excess fat.
In a good-sized pot, combine the water, tomato paste, McCormick's packets, and all the other seasonings. It's a good idea to whisk it up, just in case you're McCormick's packets have been sitting in the pantry for 10 years, like mine have.
Once that's all blended, add the sausage and pepperoni. Bring it to a boil. Stir frequently enough to keep it from burning to the bottom fo the pan.
Reduce to a simmer and add the mushrooms. Simmer, covered, for 30 minutes (stirring occasionally). While the sauce is doing its thing, get your noodles ready and grate the cheese.
You're pretty much done. Slop some noodles into a bowl, add the grated cheese.
Pour some sauce over the cheese, then shake on some parmesan cheese.
Serve with a fine beverage of your choice.
PDF version of this recipe, suitable for printing.
