[Just Dahlia]

It's my husband (Glen) birthday week and he wants Spaghetti on Friday for dinner. 9 adults and 2 children.

His idea of spaghetti is a meat Bolognese sauce wirh actual 'Spaghetti' noodles. I'm going to make it his way since it is his birthday and all but...

Does anyone else have a problem with this? I have always known and made Ragu (meat sauce) with a flat noodle like tageatelle (sp?) 1/3" or even a long fusilli, kind of like a telephone cord (not like the short one used in salads) they have always soaked up the sauce and the meat would cling to it like it should.

I'm thinking that the regular spaghetti, everything is just going to fall off and everyone is going to get a fork full of noodles.

If anyone has any suggestions of what I could sub (that he won't notice) and still work good, please let me know. I already attempted to suggest Linguini. It didn't fly.:rolleyes:

[N0help4u]

I have a problem with sauce sticking to the spaghetti too and I LOVE spaghetti

Three things are
Do not put anything except maybe some salt in the water for the noodles.
Do not rinse, better brands shouldn't be starchy where they need rinsed anyway.
Drain for 10 to 15 minutes

My old cajun chef and three of my Italian friends do it this way

[Just Dahlia]

Thanks, I never rinse, the sauce sticks better.
Do you think spaghetti or spaghetini might be best? I'm not sure for picking up the meat sauce, since I can't use what I should.:rolleyes:

[N0help4u]

I don't know I only like the thicker spaghetti noodles. I hate thin spaghetti and angel hair and any noodles that look thinner

[antipode12]

You're right about the sauce falling off. But, if that's how he likes it...

Anyway, another trick is to add some pasta water to your sauce when heating it up. It will add a level of starch that helps the sauce cling.

[XOXOlove]

You can try adding a bit of olive oil to the water while the pasta is cooking. It makes it more slippery but not greasy.

[XOXOlove]

Oops. I thought you wanted the sauce to not cling. Never mind!