My father was a Lieutenant with the Army Corps on Engineers and stationed in the Panama Canal in 1953! (not sure of the entire dates he was there, but I know he was there then!) Another day I will write about the china service he bought there. Today’s story is spaghetti!

Dad brought his new bride, my mother, Lavonne, to the canal. Panama is where I was conceived! How totally romantic!

While there, an Italian lady gave her a recipe for spaghetti. My sister and I grew up eating this spaghetti. She made it for our family, and it was her go-to dish for things like church functions.

Here is the recipe, and the story Dad wrote to go with it. It is charming! I like how he referred to the meat as ‘grounded’ chuck. Dad was an electrical engineer and that sweet word makes me think of wires in the sauce! heehee

Also, I have a picture of the spaghetti. I made some yesterday, and it stirred up so many happy memories!

Enjoy!

 

ITALIAN SPAGHETTI

 

This recipe was given to Clara Lavonne Jackson Silcox in the Panama Canal Zone by an Italian Lady.

 

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

2 medium-sized onions, chopped

2 cloves of garlic

¼ cup butter

¼ cup olive oil – Imported

2 8-ounces cans tomato sauce

2 6-ounces tomato paste

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 pound ground beef

1 pound long spaghetti

Parmesan cheese

 

Cook parsley, onion, and garlic in hot fats until soft. Add tomato puree, tomato paste, and Worcestershire sauce. Add meat browned in additional hot fat: cook slowly 3 hours. Cook spaghetti in boiling, salted water: drain and rinse in hot water. Place on warm platter; pour over sauce, sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese.

Additional information that I remember. Pinky, as Lavonne was known in Panama, always at least doubled the recipe. It was required to give the sauce the right taste. She used a garlic press and probably more than listed. The beef was grounded chuck that had little fat. She picked the chuck roast and had it grounded. The grease from the browned grounded chuck was poured off and discarded. The tomato sauce and paste were of the Corrila brand from California.

Our Company had four Lt. and the other three were bachelors. We all went out a lot and sometimes the other Lts. would have a lady friend. They all took a protective “feeling” about Pinky. She was always the life of the party and everyone, except the Base Commander wife, loved her.

We had three Lts. (Smith, Pettit, and Buen) for supper about once a week and Pinky served the spaghetti and her Pineapple Up-side Down Cake. She had to make two of them because they each wanted a fourth of the cake This way they each got two pieces.