If you are looking for a fast and easy dinner dish, this is a great one! Often, when I am looking for a recipe, I skip long introductions to get to the main part: the ingredients and preparation. Thus, I am going to post that first, and the history behind this meal (which is really fun!) last.
You will need:
1-1 ½ lbs ground beef (I use lean*)
*½ or 1 whole onion (I use half)
2 large cans Hunt’s tomato sauce (generic works fine)
*1 package of mushrooms
1 tsp oregano
½ tsp garlic
1 package spaghetti noodles
*Basil (preferably fresh)
Serves about 4-6 with some leftover
*denotes ingredients we have added to the original Hesterberg spaghetti recipe
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| The original Hesterberg spaghetti recipe, written and passed down to me by my mother-in-law, Kathy (Reyna) Hesterberg. |
Prepare noodles according to package directions. When done, pour some olive oil over them (so they don’t stick to the pot), and mix them up with chopped up fresh basil.
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| The noodles tossed with olive oil and basil |
Chop up onion and mushrooms, and brown them with the ground beef and garlic. Finely break them all up over low-medium heat. If you are not using lean ground beef, drain the fat. Otherwise, proceed to add the oregano and tomato sauce and heat through. Serve over spaghetti noodles. Enjoy!
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| We enjoy picking fresh basil and oregano from our garden! |
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| The marinara meat sauce really makes the dish! My husband could literally eat this everyday and not grow tired of it. |
Though I never had the privilege of meeting her, my father-in-law’s mother, Cecilia (Jones) Hesterberg, was the first to make this spaghetti. She passed it on to my mother-in-law, Kathy (Reyna) Hesterberg, who then passed it on to me, Giana (Gallardo) Hesterberg. It is a favorite that we have made for family and friends here in South Texas; Des Moines, Iowa; Seattle, Washington; and most recently, Littleton, Colorado.
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| Grandma Ceil, the originator of the recipe. |