There are a few picture books that my children still return to sometimes, even now that they are full-fledged independent readers. I will occasionally look in on them at bedtime to find them curled up with a pile of old favorites and this has especially been true during the upheaval and uncertainty of the past year and a half. There is enormous comfort to be found in these old childhood favorites and Daddy Makes the Best Spaghetti by Anna Grossnickle Hines is one of these enduring picture books. Originally published in the 80’s, Daddy makes the Best Spaghetti is one of those picture books about an ordinary day that somehow ends up being extraordinary. The simple story narrates one afternoon in the life of a family as the father picks his son up from daycare and they shop for groceries, before preparing dinner together. When the mother arrives home from work, they give her welcome-home kisses before setting the table, sharing a meal, and moving on to their bedtime routine. The extraordinary part of this book is the way these everyday rituals are portrayed with such warmth and love. The reader is pulled into the loving rhythms of this family’s everyday life; rhythms that most young children will recognize from their own family. Each part of the day is not just a routine, but a chance for the parents to show love by connecting with their young son and allowing him to contribute to their family life. The young boy is shown helping his dad pick out groceries, washing vegetables, setting the table, and doing the dishes with his mother. As many of us return to the routines of work, school, day care, pick up and drop off, this book is reminder that these routines can be nurturing, loving, and warm.
I have always appreciated how sensitive, and progressive for the time, Daddy makes the Best Spaghetti is around gender roles. As the title suggests, the father is the parent who not only cooks dinner but also picks his son up from day care and goes grocery shopping. The mother is the parent to arrive home later and change out of her professional clothes before dinner, while both parents pitch in to clean up after dinner and prepare their son for bed. The overall picture conveyed is one of a respectful and supportive marriage where all tasks are seen as shared tasks. All the while, the little boy is loved and included in every part of the routine. It is a comforting and affirming portrayal of family life that I think will ring true for many families in the modern world.
Perhaps ironically, the recipe for Best Spaghetti below is inspired not by my father, but by my mother’s recipe for spaghetti sauce. While my dad is a great cook, his skills are more in the baking and dessert category. He makes the creamiest ice cream, a mean pie, and what he claims are the best chocolate chip cookies (we have yet to hold a bake-off to test this out). My mom is a wonderful cook in every category and made this spaghetti sauce often when I was growing up. Most of us probably have those nostalgic recipes that instantly transport us back to childhood, and this is certainly one of those recipes for me! The secret ingredient here is cream of tomato soup. This addition gives the sauce the creaminess of a traditional bolognese, without having to add milk or cream which, despite my best efforts, I have found often ends up curdling.
I have made a few minor changes to my mom’s recipe: I do not use mushrooms, I add a little bit of dry red wine, and I use Italian sausage in place of ground beef. I’ve included both versions here so you can decide if your family would prefer the more traditional sauce with mushrooms and beef. This sauce is best simmered for at least an hour, but it is a great slow cooker meal, if you don’t have an hour right before dinner, and I have added the slow cooker instructions as an alternative. I often make a double batch and freeze half for busy weeknights later on. Convenient and delicious!
Best Spaghetti Sauce
Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium until hot. Add the ground beef or sausage to the pan, along with the chopped onion. Cook, breaking up the meat and stirring often, until meat is browned and onion is tender, about 10 minutes.
If there seems to be a big puddle of grease in the bottom of the pan, drain the excess fat and return the pan to the stove. This may not be necessary if using a leaner ground beef or sausage. Add the wine, if using, and stir to deglaze the pan. Allow the wine to reduce by about half before stirring in the remaining ingredients, except the spaghetti noodles and parmesan, and turn the heat down to low. Cover the pan and simmer sauce for 1 to 3 hours to thicken, stirring occasionally.
Once the sauce has thickened, cook the spaghetti noodles according to package directions. Drain pasta and serve with sauce, topped with freshly grated parmesan and parsley, if desired.
Slow Cooker Instructions: After browning the meat and onions in step one, transfer the meat mixture to the bowl of a large slow cooker. Stir the rest of the ingredients into the slow cooker with the meat, including the wine, if desired. Cook sauce for 6 hours on low or 3 hours on high before serving over cooked spaghetti noodles.
Ingredients
Directions
Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium until hot. Add the ground beef or sausage to the pan, along with the chopped onion. Cook, breaking up the meat and stirring often, until meat is browned and onion is tender, about 10 minutes.
If there seems to be a big puddle of grease in the bottom of the pan, drain the excess fat and return the pan to the stove. This may not be necessary if using a leaner ground beef or sausage. Add the wine, if using, and stir to deglaze the pan. Allow the wine to reduce by about half before stirring in the remaining ingredients, except the spaghetti noodles and parmesan, and turn the heat down to low. Cover the pan and simmer sauce for 1 to 3 hours to thicken, stirring occasionally.
Once the sauce has thickened, cook the spaghetti noodles according to package directions. Drain pasta and serve with sauce, topped with freshly grated parmesan and parsley, if desired.
Slow Cooker Instructions: After browning the meat and onions in step one, transfer the meat mixture to the bowl of a large slow cooker. Stir the rest of the ingredients into the slow cooker with the meat, including the wine, if desired. Cook sauce for 6 hours on low or 3 hours on high before serving over cooked spaghetti noodles.
