Spaghetti Secret

Spaghetti is always among the top request dish from my daughters whenever they are home from college. This easy recipe was used to incorporate with whatever ingredients I have in the fridge.  The secret in this recipe is the oatmeal which not only mimic the taste of ground beef but also makes the sauce more creamier to taste.  The optional ingredients are only the suggested choice that will go well with the dish.  They're not only enhancing the flavor of the sauce but also provide various nutrition.  A one in all well-balanced meal is happening in this recipe.

Ingredients:

Meatball ingredients:

1 to 2 lbs of ground beef
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp of water

Sauce:

1 (24 oz.) jar Ragu sauce 
1/2 Onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 TBSP sriracha
 1 TBSP Sugar
3 tbsp rolled oatmeal
1 cup sliced or quartered Bella mushrooms or any fresh mushrooms
1 package spaghetti ( I used Barilla brand, as it cooks faster)

Optional ingredients: (chopped)

2 stalks of celery
1 green bell pepper
1 tomato

Directions:
1. Marinate the ground beef with oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar, cornstarch, a tsp of water into a big bowl and mix well with your hands until evenly blended. Form the meat mixture into the shape of 1 inch balls.

2. Turn on high heat, heat the pan first until hot (when you see smoke).  Add 1 tbsp of cooking oil on the pan so the pan is coated with oil.  Heat oil until hot. Place in all the shaped meatballs.  Do not flip the meatballs right away, let them cook about a minute or until a little brown, then flip with a spatula to cook the other sides of the meatballs. Make sure it's brown enough, if not the meatballs will crumble. Scoop up the meatballs and place aside.

3.  Add and cook onions first, then garlic and stir until fragrant.  Add mushrooms and any optional ingredients and stir fry for 2 minutes.  Add in the cooked meatballs with sauce ingredients such as sriracha, sugar, and spaghetti sauce. Stir gently so meatballs do not break apart.  Sprinkle oatmeal and mix well together.  Cover and cook on high heat until boiling, turn the heat down to low or to a simmer for 20 minutes.  Stir occasionally to make sure the bottom is not or burned.

4. While spaghetti sauce is cooking, start to prepare the pasta according to the package instructions.

When the spaghetti is done, drain the water and pour them in a covered pot to keep warm (I used my tortilla warmer container). By then, the spaghetti sauce should be done.

Tips:

1. Sugar is needed whenever a tomato base is used to adjust the acidity in a dish.  Adjust to your preferred taste when the sauce is almost done.

2. Adjust the spiciness of the sauce with sriracha or any chili sauce.

3. The optional ingredients for the meal will taste delicious whether or not you decide to use them.  All ingredients and sauce can be adjusted to your preferred taste.