Big Bang Spaghetti Supper

Okay, so Big Bang has ended. Yet, like Friends, old sitcoms never truly fade away. They live on and on in syndication.

Hubby and I have a routine at the end of each day. Usually when he comes home from work, I’m in the kitchen beginning the prep work on supper. We talk briefly about the day, then he settles into his spot on the sofa and flips on the TV. Often at that early hour of the evening, it’s a rerun of a show we both loved – Big Bang. Every time I heard the character Sheldon Cooper talk about what seemed to be his go-to comfort food, Spaghetti with those little hot dogs, I thought we need to try that.

Nothing in my house ever gets cooked if it doesn’t first make it onto the Meal Plan Schedule. We have our daily themes (Mellow Mondays, Tijuana Tuesdays and so forth), Holidays, Catholic Feast Days and National Days for inspiration. Thursdays are Tuscan Thursdays. That simply means if not dictated by a set Feast Day or other special occasion, anything “Italian” goes for Thursday suppers. Spaghetti is Italian. Okay, so the hot dogs are a stretch, but hey, it works, right?

There wasn’t a recipe – just Sheldon’s description and a basic knowledge of his character. Sheldon Cooper grew up in Texas. He was close to his grandmother. His mother was a simple women of great faith and his dad was a football coach. With the help of the spin-off show, Young Sheldon, we are given an even closer look at Sheldon’s background.

Chances are, the spaghetti wasn’t all that complicated. A basic sauce, some noodles and cut-up hot dogs. With that in mind, I’ve created my own interpretation of Big Bang’s Hot Dog Spaghetti. Enjoy!

Big Bang Hot Dog Spaghetti
16 oz Spaghetti Pasta
5 Costco All Beef Hot Dogs
1/4 White Onion
1 tablespoon Bacon Drippings or Lard
1 (28 oz) jar Marinara Sauce
Parmesan Cheese (Green Can) garnish

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta al-dente, about 10 minutes. Reserve 1 cup pasta water. Drain pasta, set aside until ready to use.

Cut hot dogs into bite-size pieces. Set aside. Finely dice a quarter on an onion, set aside.

Heat high-sided skillet over medium heat. Add about a tablespoon of lard or bacon drippings. Swirl to coat skillet in oil as it melts. Scatter hot dogs and onion in the skillet. Cook, stirring frequently, until dogs begin to blister and onions are translucent.

Add Marinara Sauce to the skillet. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add pasta, pull through the sauce with tongs. Thin sauce, if needed, with reserved pasta water. Heat through.

Serve with a green can of Parmesan Cheese to use as desired.

Perfect with an Iceberg-Tomato Salad and Warm Garlic Bread.