This week for #wanaFriday we’re prompted to post our favorite recipe and possibly a story to go along with it. So, this week we’ll delve into the origins of “Awesomesauce”!

As far as healthy eating goes, I’m probably not the world’s best role model. Now, I’m not saying that I won’t eat a vegetable if it gets within arms reach, but I’d be more likely to make it garnish or a side dish. Potatoes go great with steak. … Mmmmmm…steak. Huh…what? Sorry, I checked out for just a second.

Anyway, I love cooking, especially for my friends. I don’t cook a broad range of things, I tend to specialize and make something really well. What I’m known for in my group of friends is my pasta. I’ve got a few good recipes which I’ve honed and made my own, but my absolute favorite is the one that I came up with myself.

In our house, cooking tends to be a science … mad science. A lot of what we make starts with the phrase “I wonder what would happen if we…” Sometimes this works, sometimes not so much. But there was one fantastic success: Awesomesauce. (My wife, named it.)

Its actually pretty easy. Here’s what you need:

1. Marinara sauce of your choice ( Prego is good, but you can go with your favorite or make your own)

2. Alfredo sauce (Once again, your choice, but I like Bertolli)

3. Portabella mushroom caps (cut into smallish squares)

4. Fresh tomatoes, diced (You can also use canned)

5. Spicy Spaghetti seasoning (This is best, otherwise toss in some salt, pepper, oregano, and whatever else to taste)

6. 3 cloves garlic, minced.

7. About a pound and a half of a nice, spicy italian seasoning.

8. Red pepper flakes.

Now, I don’t have any idea of exact measurements, since I cook by taste, smell, color. But, I’ll take you through it as best as I can.

Steps!

1. In a good sized sauce-pan combine the marinara and alfredo sauces in about a 1:1 ratio. When you mix them together the sauce should be an orangish color (the real reason I decided to mix the two).

2. Put in the mushrooms and start the heat up, medium should do it. You want the sauce bubbling, but not bursting out of the pan and splashing all over your nice clean stove. … You did clean your kitchen right? Washed your hands? No… Eeeewwwww.

3. Put in the tomatoes, and garlic, add a couple tablespoons of the spicy spaghetti seasoning, and a little … just some red pepper flakes. Gotta be careful with those.

4. Cook up the sausage, drain off the grease and add it to the sauce. Not the grease, the sausage…. that would be gross.

5. Let the sauce simmer for a while. Basically you want to cook it until the mushrooms are nice and juicy, soaking up a little of the moisture of the sauce. While its simmering, taste it every now and again and adjust the spices. This is when you add a bit more of the red pepper flakes until the sauce has a little kick.

6. While that sauce is cooking, cook your noodles. You can cook any noodle you want, though I like the little spirally ones. They hold a pretty good amount of sauce.

And there you have it, my patented Awesomesauce. Change it, make it your own. Tell me if you like it.

What’s your favorite recipe? Feel free to share in the comments or make a blog post of your own for this #wanaFriday.

Other nummy recipes by my fellow #wanaFriday participants:

Ellen Gregory shares a recipe for chocolate pudding.

Janice Heck tells us about her chocolate dream dessert.

Cora Ramos also gives us a recipe ~ a recipe for murder.

Kim Moser Griffin poses a quandary:  meatballs and what?