I don't know why, but my mum never gave me spaghetti hoops as a child. Baked beans yes and I even remember having tinned macaroni, so it couldn't have been about the quality. Macaroni in a tin, that is just plain wrong, especially as my mum makes the most gorgeous macaroni cheese.
I do remember having spaghetti hoops on toast when I went home with friends for lunch. I loved them. I suppose it was the novelty. I have to put my hand up to being a bit picky about what I feed Cooper and I've avoided tinned foods like this, although I do buy low salt and low sugar baked beans.
So Cooper got to the age of three without ever trying spaghetti hoops.
I decided to make my own and I found just the right pasta, it's called Anelli Sicilian. I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to add extra veg to the sauce.
He didn't like it!
I bet he'd like the tinned version and I bet they are packed with sugar.
On the upside, my hubby loved it. I shall try again another day, perhaps on the side of another dish instead of on toast. It does taste really good and is a lovely simple comfort dish. You could serve this sauce on any pasta.
Hero Spaghetti Hoop Sauce
Homemade spaghetti hoops in a wonderful tomato sauce souped up with extra veggies.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 medium carrot, finely chopped
- 1 roasted red pepper, chopped
- 1 stalk celery, chopped
- 400g chopped tomatoes
- 3 tbsp tomato puree
- 2 tsp sugar
- a good splosh of water
- a good grinding of freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
1. Saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil until the onion starts to soften.2. Add the carrot and celery and cook gently for a few minutes until they too start to soften. If it starts to stick you could add a little water.3. Add all the other ingredients and simmer gently for 15-20 minutes.4. Whizz the sauce until smooth. You could use an electric hand blender or a food processor. Add a little more water if it needs it. This sauce should be a bit thinner than most sauces.5. Serve mixed through freshly cooked pasta. 6. Enjoy!
Details
Total time: Yield: Serves 4-6
If you like this recipe, why not try my Tomato and Roasted Red Pepper Pasta Sauce for Spaghetti?
Wow I thought these were Spaghetti Hoops from a tin, had no idea you could buy pasta in a hoop shape. I've always loved Spaghetti Hoops but they have to be Heinz and they have to have grated cheese on too. Kids have to try something 20 times before they like it so maybe Cooper will come round eventually:-) I know I would love your hoops:-)
ReplyDeleteGrated cheese on top sounds like a good plan. I am going to keep trying. I will try grating some cheddar on top next time and see if that gets him interested.
DeleteThey look great Jac, and cheese would be a great addition too! Love the pics x
ReplyDeleteThanks Stuart x
DeleteOh, INDEED the tinned spag hoops - or Spaghetti O's, as the famous brand is called here, are WELL packed with sugar. II'd make my own, but a.) we never ate them as kids either, and b.) CANNOT for love or money find pasta hoops. Drat.) Just the other day, I decided to cheat and get a tinned tomato soup - and wow. I'd not bought canned foods in so long that I'd forgotten that it's a necessity to make them shelf-stable, or something. MUCH better to make your own. And, if the wee man doesn't like them, more for you. ☺
ReplyDeleteDefinitely better to make your own Tanita. Hopefully he will come around to liking them eventually. It was maybe the concept of pasta on toast that put him off.
DeleteI wish we had been given spaghetti hoops - we just had boring straight spaghetti in our tins - this looks so much fun, it is hard to believe it could be rejected but sadly I know sylvia is not so keen on the spaghetti hoops I tried either - kids! hurumph!
ReplyDeleteWhat will be do with them? Honestly! Sod I meant to link to your post, will try to remember tonight.
DeleteI realise that this come perilously close to the realms of stealing candy...but can I have Cooper's portion please? They look very warming and comforting.
ReplyDeleteHehe, all gone Gill. He doesn't appreciate the finer things in life :)
DeleteWe recently found our local deli stocks the hoops - I would have danced in the aisles had it not been for all the burly Italians around me! Shame the Cooper didn't enjoy but we loved ours, though cooked them more grown up way - must get round to blogging it soon!
ReplyDeleteBrilliant, I look forward to that post Anne :)
DeleteHome made Spaghetti-O's remind me of my childhood. We did have them sometimes but for a treat.
ReplyDeleteAhhh I heard they were called spaghetti o's. You would think they would be tempting for any child. Oh well : )
DeleteThese look fab, i'll have to look out for that kind of pasta. I do love spaghetti hoops on toast with a lot of grated cheese on top... and sometimes a fried egg too!!!! It's one of my favourite comfort food kiddy teas that I grew up with and now make for the boys. I'm sure my boys would totally notice if I did a home made sauce instead of the tinned stuff. There's a basic rule in my kitchen, the longer I spend on food for the kids, the more suspicious they are of it!!!
ReplyDeleteHaha, that is totally the way of it Katie. Children are so suspicious.
DeleteOh and the cheese or egg sound like great toppings.
DeleteWell there we go, you really do learn something new every day. Now I have to find myself some Anelli Sicilian pasta to try! (Why is this not as Essential to Waitrose as linguine/orzo/amori, I ask myself?!)
ReplyDeleteI had no idea you could get pasta in that shape! What a great idea! I never buy my children spaghetti hoops either (because I know there is no way they would eat tinned pasta - a lifetime of homemade foods has spoiled them!). A fantastic entry for this month's Pasta Please :)
ReplyDeleteOoh - I didn't know you could get hoops - I'm going to give this a try very soon - I think Roo would love it (D would probably turn up his nose in much the same way as Cooper!)
ReplyDeleteHaha, aren't they funny. I think I am going to try again soon, but serve them with something else and not toast and see if that goes down better.
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