The sometimes controversial fried fish and spaghetti meal

People who love fish and spaghetti as a meal have long been questioned (and sometimes played) because of this oddly controversial pairing. I didn’t know the fish (usually fried fish) and spaghetti meal was only a Midwest thing until I moved east coast and people were shocked by me “making spaghetti as a side dish vs. a main entrée.” I believe spaghetti can be a main dish or a side item, but when it comes to making fried fish, there’s no better complement on the side. And add in coleslaw to complete the meal.

While I’ve always been open to spaghetti as a dish served as a main dish or side item, others have not been as open UNTIL they try the two together. And there’s not a person who doesn’t love the combo (when I prepare it at least).

I’ve learned that this amazing pairing is more of a Midwest tradition, and when we gather, we love to talk about how others “just don’t know.” The commonality we have is also in how we prepare the spaghetti: always with meat, and usually with green peppers and onions. It’s so simple, I hesitated to add it below, but a few folks have asked and I’m all for this meal to become more mainstream. Now my fish recipe is from my grandmother, and there are about 2-3 family recipes that she has passed down to me that I promised to always keep private. But I’ve included one that is pretty close and looks yummy.

Try this fried catfish recipe from Grandbaby Cakes.

My “Midwest” Spaghetti

Ingredients

• 1 lb of ground beef or turkey
• ½ of a yellow or red onion (your preference)
• 1 green pepper
• ¾ of a box of spaghetti
• 1 jar of spaghetti sauce (your preference)
• Seasonings to taste: salt, pepper, seasoning salt, chili powder
• Finish with grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

• Boil spaghetti as you normally would
• Dice green pepper and onion
• In a large pan, saute green pepper and onion
• Once semi-soft, add in meat and season as you mix it in. Brown it and once done, drain excess oil
• Add sauce to meat mix
• Once the spaghetti is soft, drain water and add it to the meat mix.
• Season to taste