Spaghetti a la JulyCris

Name: Spaghetti a la JulyCris - Ionela N.
Ingredients: 300 g spaghetti 1 can mushrooms 200 g pressed ham 200 g cheese tomato sauce oregano; basil salt; pepper 2; 3 tablespoons oil

Pasta/Pizza - Spaghetti a la JulyCris by Ionela N. - Recipia

Baked Spaghetti with Ham and Mushrooms When I want to make pasta without complicating things too much, I prepare this baked spaghetti with ham, mushrooms, and cheese. This recipe is one I've been making for years in the same way. The spaghetti is boiled, layered with ham and sautéed mushrooms, then baked with tomato sauce and cheese. It’s not a sophisticated recipe, but it’s practical and delicious, especially when you need a hearty dish for lunch or dinner. Quick Info Total time: about 30-35 minutes, excluding prep time for the ingredients and sauce Preparation time: not specified in the original recipe Cooking and baking time: 10 minutes for boiling the spaghetti, then 20-25 minutes in the oven; the sauce simmers for a few minutes Servings: the number is not specified; the quantity is suitable for several servings Difficulty: easy Recipe type: baked pasta with ham, mushrooms, and tomato sauce Ingredients For baked spaghetti 300 g spaghetti 1 can of mushrooms 200 g pressed ham, sliced thinly 200 g cheese 2-3 tablespoons oil salt pepper ketchup, for greasing the dish tomato sauce, prepared separately For the tomato sauce 3-4 tablespoons tomato paste 1 teaspoon sugar salt, to taste pepper, to taste oregano basil water, as needed for the right consistency The sauce should be fluid enough to distribute easily among the pasta, but not so thin that it becomes watery. Instructions 1. Prepare the tomato sauce Place the tomato paste in a small pot and add the sugar, salt, pepper, oregano, and basil. Thin the mixture with water until you achieve a suitable sauce consistency. It shouldn’t be too thick, but also not as thin as water. Put the sauce on the heat and let it come to a boil a few times. After that, turn off the heat and set it aside until you prepare the other ingredients. 2. Boil the spaghetti Bring water to a boil in a pot. When it starts to boil, add the spaghetti and let it cook for 10 minutes. After boiling, drain the pasta in a colander and rinse it well with cold water. This is the step used in the original recipe, so it’s important not to just leave them in the pot and go straight to assembling. 3. Prepare the filling Slice the pressed ham thinly. If the mushrooms are canned, drain them before use. Heat the oil in a skillet and add the ham along with the mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper, then let them sauté for a bit. There’s no need for a long cooking time; the ingredients will cook more in the oven. 4. Grate the cheese Grate the cheese and divide it into two roughly equal portions. You will use one part for each layer of pasta. 5. Assemble the dish Grease a baking dish with ketchup. Place half of the spaghetti in the dish. On top of the first layer of pasta, add half of the ham and mushroom mixture, half of the grated cheese, and half of the tomato sauce. Add the remaining spaghetti, then top with the rest of the ham and mushrooms, the remaining cheese, and the leftover tomato sauce. Try to distribute the ingredients as evenly as possible, so each serving has pasta, filling, and cheese. 6. Bake the spaghetti Put the dish in the oven and bake the spaghetti for 20-25 minutes. The oven temperature is not specified in the original recipe, so use the standard setting for baked dishes without changing the mentioned time. The spaghetti is served hot after baking. Why I make this recipe often I love this recipe because it uses simple ingredients and doesn’t require much preparation. The ham and mushrooms cook quickly in the skillet, the tomato sauce is made in a few minutes, and then everything is layered. It’s also a practical option when I want to serve baked pasta, not just spaghetti with sauce mixed directly on the plate. The cheese melts over the layers, and the tomato sauce helps keep the pasta from drying out after baking. Tips and Variations Tips Rinse the spaghetti with cold water after boiling, as specified in the recipe. Make sure to drain them well before placing them in the dish, so the dish doesn’t have too much water. Salt should be added carefully to the filling and sauce. The pressed ham and cheese may already be salty, so it’s better to season gradually. Don’t use a very thick tomato sauce. It will be harder to distribute among the layers of pasta, and some portions may end up dry. The cheese can be simply divided into two parts, one for each layer. If a small amount is left over, you can sprinkle it on top before baking. Substitutions The mushrooms used are canned, according to the original recipe. If you have another type of mushroom on hand, they can be used as long as they are prepared to be sautéed with the ham; however, the basic recipe remains with canned mushrooms. The pressed ham can be replaced with another type of ham, but the taste and salt content may vary. In this case, adjust the salt in the skillet and sauce. For the sauce, use tomato paste, sugar, spices, and water. There’s no need for store-bought tomato sauce, as the version in the recipe is made from scratch. Variations You can change the ratio of pasta to filling if you prefer a dish with more mushrooms and ham. However, the basic quantities remain those in the original recipe: 300 g of spaghetti, 200 g of ham, 200 g of cheese, and one can of mushrooms. For a more pronounced herb flavor, keep the oregano and basil in the sauce. These are the spices used in the original recipe and pair well with the tomato paste. You can make thinner layers if you use a wider dish, but keep the order: pasta, ham and mushrooms, cheese, tomato sauce, then the second layer in the same sequence. Serving Ideas The spaghetti is served hot, immediately after being removed from the oven. You can portion it directly from the dish, so the layers remain visible. The leftover tomato sauce in the dish is sufficient for serving, so the recipe does not call for a separate sauce. Frequently Asked Questions Can I use a different type of pasta? The recipe is written for spaghetti. Other types of pasta can be used as long as you follow the same steps, but the texture and how the layers settle may differ. For the original version, use spaghetti. Why are the pasta rinsed with cold water? In this recipe, the spaghetti are drained in a colander and rinsed with cold water before assembly. This is the step indicated in the original recipe and helps cool them before layering with the ham, mushrooms, and sauce. Can I put everything in a single layer? The dish is assembled in two layers, with each layer containing pasta, ham and mushrooms, cheese, and tomato sauce. This way, the ingredients distribute better throughout the dish. If you mix everything from the start, you won’t achieve the same layering as in the original recipe. How long do the spaghetti bake? After assembly, the dish is placed in the oven for 20-25 minutes. The temperature is not mentioned in the source recipe, so I cannot indicate an exact value without altering the original information. Can it be served cold? The recipe recommends serving it hot. The dish can also be eaten after cooling, but the texture is more pleasant when warm, and the cheese remains melted. Nutritional Values The values below are estimates for the entire dish and may vary depending on the brand of spaghetti, ham, cheese, mushrooms, and the exact amount of tomato sauce used. The number of servings is not specified in the original recipe, so the values per serving cannot be calculated precisely. For the entire dish, the estimate is approximately: 2,400-2,700 kcal Carbohydrates: approximately 225-245 g Protein: approximately 110-125 g Fat: approximately 95-110 g If the dish is divided into four equal servings, one serving would have approximately 600-675 kcal, 56-61 g carbohydrates, 28-31 g protein, and 24-28 g fat. These values are indicative and do not precisely include every product difference or the amount of ketchup and tomato sauce. Storage and Reheating If there are leftover spaghetti, let them cool, then store them in the refrigerator in a covered container. For better taste and texture, it’s preferable to consume them shortly after, as the pasta absorbs the sauce over time. When reheating, heat only the amount you want to serve. You can use the oven or another available heating method, but the dish should be well heated before serving. The cheese will not have exactly the same texture as when the spaghetti are freshly baked, but the taste remains pleasant.

Spaghetti a la JulyCris

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