Spaghetti, meatballs, parmigiano reggiano and basil

This is such an easy and delicious dinner to have on a week night, provided you have some sauce/gravy in your freezer.  You can use my recipe below, or even use a jar of a store brand that you like. 

Just remember, good ingredients can make an easy and simple meal taste and look like it came from a fine restaurant.

By the way, did you know that spaghetti and meatballs is an American dish?  Yep, it's not an Italian dish.  But thats okay, we have some good traditions here as well, because who doesn't love this dish.

I buy a wedge of parmigiano reggiano and keep it in my refrigerator.  Use a vegetable peeler and slice off a few slices and set aside.  Fresh basil adds such a wonderful fresh flavor to any spaghetti/pasta dish.  So do try it and see what you think.
Buy a bunch of basil and chiffonarde about 4 leaves.  That's a fancy cooking term for taking the leaves and laying them on top of one another, rolling them up like a cigar and thinly slicing them.  Basil will keep in your refrigerator if you wrap a paper towel around it and place it in a plastic container, tightly sealed. Lasts about a week. 

Okay, so now you heat up your sauce. My sauce had meatballs in it, but you can skip it if you don't have any. While your sauce is heating up, cook your pasta as directed.  I only use Barilla and I tend to undercook it by about 1 minute.  After your pasta is cooked, drain it well.  Use a set of large tongs to grab some cooked pasta and pile it on the center of your plate.   Add a couple of tablespoonsful of sauce on top of your pasta.  Place a meatball on top. Toss on the parmigiano reggiano and the basil.  Voila...  Dinner, in about 20 minutes.  And it's so good.