BBQ Spaghetti

This one always takes people by surprise, and some people are too weirded out by it to even try it.  In my experience the people who try it really like it though.  Of course you can use any pasta you like, and I assume you know how to cook pasta al dente so I'm not giving you instructions for that. 

To really elevate this dish you'll need a pound or so of pulled pork.  Any leftover grilled meat can work, but smoked meat really takes it to the next level.  Ideally you can make the sauce a day ahead and put it in the fridge overnight. The flavors will blend as it cools, but it can certainly be served same day.

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 2 large onions
  • 2-4 chopped cloves garlic to taste
  • 14 oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes
  • 3 oz tomato paste
  • 1 Tbsp fresh oregano (or 1 tsp dried)
  • 1 Tbsp fresh chopped basil (or 1 tsp dried)
  • 1/2-1 cup Dirty Apron BBQ sauce (Original or Sweet and Smoky)
  • 1 pound of pulled pork (or other BBQ meat) optional. but highly recommended
  • salt and sugar to taste

Instructions:

  1. Dice the onions, size doesn't matter too much, it's going to get blended, just make them roughly equal so they cook evenly.
  2. Heat the oil in a pan and add the onions, cook them for a few minutes, they should start to turn translucent.  Add the chopped garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes.
  3. Add the diced tomatoes and tomato paste and stir, cook for about 5 minutes then add the oregano and basil, cook for another 5 minutes
  4. Add Dirty Apron BBQ sauce to taste, I usually start with 1/2 a cup and go up from there.  You can also add sugar and salt here if needed. 
  5. Once you have the flavors to your liking blend the sauce.  I like a little texture to my sauce so I use a stick blender, if you're using a standard blender either let the sauce cool or hold the lid down, blending hot stuff can make a hell of a mess.  If you're making the sauce ahead of time you can put it in the fridge once it's blended.
  6. When you're ready to serve heat up the sauce and stir in the pulled pork, toss with your pasta and serve.