Passport & Plate -
USA | Wednesday, March 5, 2014 | 3 photos
Ingredients
1 medium sized onion, diced
2 cans of tomato soup
1 box of spaghetti (dad says no.8, but mom says thinner, it’s your call)
1 lb. bacon cut into 1/2- 1 inch pieces
garlic bread and parmesan cheese for garnish
How to prepare this recipeThe ingredients are simple, the recipe is simple but success lies in the timing. The perfect Irish Spaghetti comes together at the last moment, 2 pots and a pan in perfect harmony. Here’s how to make it work.
1. Fill a large pot with water for the pasta and salt the water.
2. Preheat a large skillet on medium high heat.
3. Spread the bacon pieces in the pan.
4. In a small pot pour the cans of soup and heat on low. Stir occasionally.
5. When pasta water is boiling, add the spaghetti. I always snap the noodles in half before adding to the pot. They will take about 8-10 minutes to cook. Keep track of the time.
6. At this point, the bacon should be starting to brown. Add the diced onion.
7. This is where plate juggling experience comes in handy. Just kidding. Stir the pot of spaghetti and the soup mixture regularly, ensure the bacon and onion are cooking evenly. Stir as needed.
8. When the bacon is almost to crispy level (cooked through) and the onion is translucent and starting to brown (don’t let the onion get too brown. You may need to lower the heat depending on your stove.)
9. Strain the bacon and onion mixture. Add the bacon back to the pan.
10. Drain the pasta.
11. Add the tomato mixture to the bacon and onion, stir. Cook for about a minute. If all goes well the pasta finishes just after the bacon allowing the tomato and bacon to cook together.
12. Add the pasta to the pan, stir.
13. Garnish with some parmesan cheese and serve with a side of garlic bread.
Enjoy!
The story behind this recipeI’m an Irish and Italian mutt who grew up in a household very strong in both cultures, though I didn’t know it until I left my comfortable bubble and went out into the world. Irish spaghetti, known to some as depression spaghetti, was passed down from my Irish-American relatives on both sides of the family, and it is the ultimate comfort food. It’s the dish that my sisters and I request for any special birthday dinner or visit home. When my mom and grandma were growing up, there were many mouths to feed but not much money. They used what they had and could get easily namely tomato soup and spaghetti. As other ingredients became available, the recipe transformed into slightly different versions of itself, but this one is the one that ended up sticking. It did not, however, stick for my dad. His mother made it differently, and in protest, he won't touch the stuff. Through the years it caused the great tomato debate. Which was better soup or stewed? Soup prevailed, and it has become what it is today. When friends look at me with questioning eyebrows raised about my favorite meal, I just smile knowing that it means happy family memories.
But there's also that Italian part of my family. Since I was little, Italy has felt like the home that I'd never visited. It is the birthplace of my great grandfather "Pop Trepic" who I never had the honor of knowing. But the stories have lived on, stories of how he was so short that he could clear the underside of the dining room table chasing after unruly children. How he made wine in his basement, but more importantly how he decided to come to America at the age of 13 alone to start a new life for himself. Italy is part of my past, and I want to experience all of the stories and food from it's source.
