Spaghetti à la Ulmers

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 6 tbsp rapeseed oil, or sunflower oil or olive oil for frying
• 2 small onions
• 400 g minced beef
• 100 g bacon, not too lean, cut into small pieces
• 75 g tomato paste (small can)
• 6 cloves garlic
• 1 small can of chopped tomatoes (425 ml)
• 200 ml meat broth
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp basil, shredded
• 500g spaghetti
• 150 g mushrooms, fresh
• 300 g Gouda, grated

Instructions

Working time approx. 20 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 55 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 15 minutes

Spaghetti, minced meat, mushrooms topped with Gouda

Start with the meat sauce. Finely dice the onions and sauté in hot oil in a medium-sized pot over medium heat until translucent. Then add the ground beef, bacon, and finely chopped garlic and fry until crumbly. Add tomato paste, salt, and pepper and mix well. After 2 minutes, add the chopped tomatoes and meat broth and simmer for 25 minutes over medium heat in a covered pot, stirring occasionally. Season with basil to taste. Meanwhile, clean the mushrooms and thinly slice them (for large mushrooms, halve the slices again). Cook the spaghetti “al dente” in salted water according to the package instructions. Divide the drained spaghetti among 4 sufficiently large pieces of aluminum foil (approx. 30 x 30 cm), then add the meat sauce, mushrooms, and grated cheese on top. Finally, seal the aluminum foil to prevent leakage. Place the parcels on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (top/bottom heat) for 20 minutes. Serve on a large, flat plate wrapped in aluminum foil. Tastes sensational and is incredibly filling. The ideal dish for starving teenagers, competitive athletes, and construction workers. A legendary recipe from my late friend and restaurateur Udo “Ulmers” Helmreich. This dish first appeared on his menu at the “Vincenzquelle” restaurant in the fall of 1982 under the name “Spaghetti Nostromo,” a reference to the 1980 film ALIEN by Ridley Scott.