Paul Prudhomme's Hot Spaghetti and Meat Sauce

Ingredients

• 3 cups chopped onions
• 2 and 1/2 cups chopped green bell pepper
• 2 cups chopped celery
• 3 tablespoons Chef Paul Prudhomme's Meat Magic
• 1 tablespoon dried sweet basil leaves
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 8 and 1/2 cups defatted chicken stock
• 4 bay leaves
• 2 tablespoons fresh, finely minced garlic
• 10 medium-large ripe tomatoes, peeled, stemmed and cut up, about 8 and 1/2 cups
• 2 pounds ground turkey
• 1 cup chopped green onions, tops only
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 packets Equal or Sweet and Low
• 1 pound cooked spaghetti

Directions

Heat a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven over high heat. When very hot, add 2 cups onions, 1 and 1/2 cups bell peppers, 1 cup celery and 2 tablespoons Meat Magic. Let cook 2 and 1/2 minutes, add the basil and oregano and stir once to distribute the seasonings and brown the vegetables evenly. Cook 1 to 2 minutes, or until vegetables begin sticking hard to the bottom of the pan. Add 1/4 cup stock, scrape up all the brown on the bottom of the pan, stir well and continue cooking 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon Meat Magic, stir and cook 1 minute. Add the bay leaves and another 1/4 cup of stock, scrape up the pan bottom well and cook 2 minutes. Add the minced garlic, stir and cook 3 minutes. Add half the tomatoes, scrape up the pan bottom, stir well and cook 4 minutes. Add the ground turkey, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, and add the remaining 1 cup each chopped onions, peppers and celery, and the green onions. Continue cooking about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

When the turkey has cooked about 20 minutes, stir in the remaining cut up tomatoes and the salt, and continue cooking 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in 3 cups of stock, scrape the pan bottom if necessary, cover the pot and cook 17 minutes. Remove the cover, add 1 cup stock, stirring well, re-cover and cook another 30 minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Puree the sauce in batches in a blender or food processor and return to the skillet or Dutch oven over high heat. When the sauce begins to bubble, add the remaining 4 cups stock and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, add the sweetener and stir thoroughly.

To serve, place 1/2 cup of spaghetti on each plate and cover with about 1 and 1/4 cups meat sauce.

Submitted 6/13/05.
Source: Paul Prudhomme Cookbook
Submitted By: Teresa Johnson
techgoddess@worldnet.att.net
Paul Prudhomme's Hot Spaghetti and Meat Sauce