I finally got around to making the original Chef Boyardi spaghetti sauce from the 1930’s recipe and have to say it wasn’t exactly what I expected.
Ingredients:
2 lbs (1 kg) canned peeled tomatoes, or fresh if they’re in season
6 tablespoons (90 ml) extra virgin olive oil
1 cup diced onion
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup diced carrot
1 lb lean ground beef
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
5 medium basil leaves, sliced into strips
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
8 ounces dried spaghetti
2 tablespoons (28 g) butter
3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
Do you notice a major ingredient missing? I did. Being a full fledged garlic-lover I was a little suspicious of the absence of my beloved allium sativum in the recipe. The Tasting History show explains that Ettore "Hector" Boiardi's (Chef Boyardee) family originally came from Northern Italy where the use of garlic in cooking wasn’t as prevalent.
I tried to stay as true to the original recipe as possible this first time. The only substitution I made was bison instead of beef.
The amount of olive oil in the recipe was pretty substantial, 6 tablespoons! That was fine with me because I like cooking with it for both the flavor and health benefits.
Instructions:
- Chop up the tomatoes, then put them through a food mill or press them through a conical sieve. You want to separate all the juice and pulp from the seeds (a wooden pestle is handy if you use a conical sieve, or it’s possible to press so hard that you break your spatula). Set the tomato sauce aside and discard the seeds.
- Heat the oil in a deep saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and sprinkle it with about half of the salt. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 3 minutes. Turn the heat down if the onions start to brown.
- Add the carrots and cook for another 5 to 6 minutes, or until the onions are soft and translucent.
- Add the meat and break it up into small pieces. Sprinkle the rest of the salt and the pepper over it. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the meat is no longer pink.
- Stir in the tomato sauce and the mushrooms. Raise the heat a bit and bring the sauce to a boil. Let it boil for a few seconds, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Place the lid on the pot, slightly ajar and let it cook for about 40 minutes.
After the 40 minutes are up and the sauce has thickened, stir in the sliced basil, put the lid back on (ajar), and cook for another 5 minutes.
Cook the spaghetti according to the package’s directions. Drain it and return it to the pot. Add the butter and the parmesan. Toss to combine.
Dish up the spaghetti and ladle the sauce over it. Sprinkle it with more parmesan and serve it forth.
Following the recipe to the letter, I browned the meat before adding the chopped tomatoes and fresh basil.
The canned tomatoes I used were an Italian brand. These tomatoes are grown in the Sarnese Nocerino area in the rich volcanic soil near Mount Vesuvius. These are the same tomato variety that's used on a Margherita pizza. The nutrients in this volcanic soil give the tomatoes their signature bright red color a very unique sweetness.
The sauce, by itself, was actually a tad on the bland side but when paired with spaghetti noodles drenched in butter and parmesan cheese the flavors played off each other like a symphony. I can totally see why this recipe was such a hit with the taste buds of mainstream in 1930's America.
Word of caution, this recipe makes a LOT of sauce. I had enough left over to use as pizza sauce and was still able to freeze enough for four or five more servings.
If you like Italian food and are a fan of history I would encourage you to try this recipe. I have to say, it there was something incredibly cool about tasting history.
Next time I'm adding garlic.
https://youtube.com/shorts/o_5pWcgMvRE?si=iTcTWdLykbwmtFYT
Enjoy the day. Thank you for reading!
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