MEAT-LESS SPAGHETTI

My picky-picky husband is a "meat and potatoes" man through and through. If a meal doesn't center around meat.....well, he doesn't call it a real meal. 

That's why I came up with this "Meat-less Spaghetti" (for myself) to counter hubby's "steak night". It is total COMFORT FOOD !!!

1/4 cup olive oil

1 medium sweet onion (chopped)

(2) 14.5 ounce cans diced tomatoes (Italian style)

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (not garlic salt)

pinch of cayenne pepper  (see note below)

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (see note below)

2 teaspoons dry basil leaves

1 teaspoon dry oregano
1 teaspoon fennel seed (grind in mortar & pestle)

2 teaspoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

8 ounces button mushrooms
Any other veggies you like (small dice)

12 ounces spaghetti noodles

Saute chopped onion in the olive oil until they look sort of transparent and smell "sweet-ish". Put cooked onions (don't drain) in a large Crockpot (I think mine is a 6 quart size?). Add the diced Italian style tomatoes, garlic powder, cayenne, basil, fennel seed, kosher salt, black pepper and sugar; mix well. Cook on high for about 3 hours.

After 3 hours, slice the mushroom (nice and thick), then put them in the sauce to cook for about 30 minutes.

While the mushrooms are cooking, boil the spaghetti noodles (in salted water) until they are only HALF WAY COOKED (important).

Strain the partially cooked noodles and turn the Crockpot down to LOW. Add the noodles to the sauce and continue cooking for about 30 more minutes. Stir and serve.

I like mine with lots of Parmesan!!

ENJOY !!!

NOTE: Remember, kosher salt measures differently than table salt because the tiny grains (in table salt) pack together much closer. The measurement in this recipe is for kosher salt. If you only have table salt......use less.

NOTE: I'm pretty "spice shy", so if you like heat, add more cayenne.

NOTE: Make sure you only boil the spaghetti noodles half way. This is an important step since they pick up a ton of flavor from the sauce as they cook the rest of the way in the Crockpot.

NOTE: Cut this recipe in half if you only have a small Crockpot.