Everybody knows to make traditional spaghetti you’ve got to use a lot of tomatoes in your sauce, and maybe even some Italian sausage. Nope, I’m here to tell you there’s another way and its incredibly good and authentically Cajun. In this post, I will show you how to cook “real” Cajun spaghetti that you will be proud to serve your family and friends!
What’s the difference you say? The Cajun way is to first make a roux using flour and oil, and that forms the base for your sauce. Erin’s Grandmother, Nita Rivoire Davis (GG), from Breaux Bridge, LA, came up with the recipe a number of years back. GG is not with us anymore but her cooking and recipes sure live on.
Prepare Ingredients
Make sure you’ve got all the ingredients ready as once you start the roux you will be steady busy for a little while. The good thing is the ingredient list is not too long:
Make a Roux
The element that makes this authentic Cajun is the introduction of the roux. To make a roux, you will mix equal parts vegetable or canola oil with all-purpose flour. So, one cup of oil and one cup of flour.
Add the oil to your cast iron pot and heat it up to medium or a little higher (6 or 7). Let it come up to temperature. Sprinkle just a bit of flour and see if it starts cooking/bubbling in the oil. If so, your oil is hot enough. Go ahead and pour in about a 1/4 cup at a time. Use your flat-side wooden utensil or a whisk and mix it up so that there are no lumps. Then add another 1/4 cup, until you mix it all in and there are no lumps.
Hint: To avoid burning, continue stirring the roux so that it doesn’t stay in one spot for long.
Roux Directions
When making the roux, since it may take 30 minutes to an hour, depending on how dark you want it, consider the following:
- Use a wooden flat sided utensil to ensure you are moving all the flour around
- Move the flour and oil around using a figure-8 movement while also scraping from one side to the other and repeat, over and over. Pay special attention to the corners where the flour can build up.
- Don’t get in a hurry as you don’t want to burn the roux. Adjust the temperature as necessary. You will get a feel for how hot the oil is by the temperature, the sound, the way it sticks to the bottom of the pot and the smell. Use all your senses!
- Don’t leave the pot and keep stirring until it’s at the color (see below) and consistency you are looking for.
- Traditionalist would smack me around, but if you are in a hurry, you can substitute the homemade roux with pre-made from the grocery store like Savoie’s Light or Dark Roux. GG, please forgive me!
- Hint: Get a snack and your favorite beverage before getting started.
Adding Ingredients to Roux
The next major steps involved the addition of the tomato sauce, the vegetables (or seasonings per GG Nita), then the ground meat. I used 85/15 ground meat but any type of ground meat will do.
Finish the Meat Sauce and Plate
To finish the meat sauce, I add a little kosher salt and fresh black pepper to taste. I like to plate the Cajun meat sauce over spaghetti pasta with fresh or frozen sweet peas and some garlic and/or cheese Texas Toast. I personally add a bit of “Slap Your Mama” Cajun Seasoning from Ville Platte, LA, and a little Sriracha if I’m in the mood for a little heat. You season it how you like it. Of course, don’t forget to add a bit of parmesan cheese to your Cajun Spaghetti!
There are a few alternatives you can try that will adjust the flavor and/or make it a bit more healthy.
- Try some fried bacon or pancetta. I’ve even added some browned tasso. This adds to the depth of the flavor.
- Italian sausage can be added in either links or bulk.
- Meatballs can be added made from either ground beef, pork, or italian sausage.
- Mushrooms can be added as well.
- You can cook the ground meat first and drain the grease before adding to the sauce to make it a bit more healthy.
- Serving it over spiral cut zucchini and do away with the Texas Toast will dramatically drop the carbs.
Recipe
“Real” Cajun Spaghetti Meat Sauce
An authentic cajun meat sauce created by my wive's Great Grandmother from Breaux Bridge, LA. The Cajun way is to first make a roux using flour and oil, and that forms the base for your sauce.
- Cast Iron Pot
- 1 cup All-purpose Flour
- 1 cup Vegetable Oil
- 2 small cans Tomato Sauce
- 2 – 3 Onions, White
- 4 cloves Garlic
- 2 Peppers, Bell
- 3 lbs Ground Meat
- Parsley (for garnishment)
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- Cajun Seasoning to taste
Chop up your vegetables and put them in a bowl, cover and place them in the refrigerator. Hopefully you are using fresh vegetables from the garden.
Next, we need to make a roux. Put a cup of vegetable oil in your cast iron pot and bring up to medium-high temperature. Keep stirring the roux using a wooden flat edge spoon (preferably)so you keep moving the particle of flour around and so that it doesn't stay in the same place and possibly burn. This can take 30 minutes to an hour.
Add in the 2 small cans of tomato sauce. Mix it all together and cook for about 5 minutes.
Add in the cut up seasonings (vegetables). Cook until seasonings get soft.
Add in 3 lbs. of ground meat. Allow all the meat to brown spooning off the grease as you go (if needed).
Let cook for 30 minutes.
Add water to reach the desired thickness of the sauce.
Cook for 1 or more hours to really get the flavors all dancing in harmony with each other.
Boil spaghetti pasta.
You can serve the meat sauce over the spaghetti or mix the pasta with the sauce and serve together with some fresh or frozen sweet green peas and some garlic Texas toast.
****************************************************************************************
Now, enjoy the simple life by sitting with your family or friends, and eating some good Cajun Spaghetti. Please let us know how you like this post or have suggestions on future posts.
If you like this post, check out my Cajun Meat and Cornbread Dressing recipe. Also, check out my Homemade Smoked Andouille Sausage YouTube Video on my Louisiana Simple Living YouTube channel.
Enjoy! Remember, if you can dream it, you can do it!
Please LIKE this post. If you have any COMMENTS or QUESTIONS, please post below. Please SUBSCRIBE to our BLOG for additional great content.
Love reading your blog! Nice photography too!
Thanks Marie!! I’m just getting started and it’s a lot of fun!