I’m not sure if it’s poetic justice or just a cruel twist of fate that the return of my cooking blog begins with a post about SPAM. Depending on who you ask, it’s either loved, hated, or looked upon with indifference.
The first can of SPAM Classic was produced in 1937 in Austin, Minnesota, and 73 years and 7 billion cans later, it’s still going strong. SPAM is particularly popular in Hawaii–where it has been dubbed “The Hawaiian Steak”–as well as in the territories if Guam and the Commonwealth of the Norther Mariana Islands. SPAM celebrations are held across the country in small local festivals and events known as Spam Jam and Spamarama. There is SPAM Classic, Honey SPAM, SPAM with Bacon, and Hot and Spicy SPAM. Through the years the virtues of SPAM have been sung by Edward R. Murrow, Gracie Allen, Dwight Eisenhower, and Margaret Thatcher, and of course, Monty Python. There is a SPAM Museum and a SPAMMobile.
Any way you look at it, SPAM is prolific–almost as prolific as that annoying stuff that shows up in your email inbox–and it deserves a mention as a cooking ingredient. Especially when it’s the central ingredient in a cook-off help annually at theFraternal Order of Eagles in Chagrin Falls.
And so it was that on this fine day I spent the late morning preparing my entry for the contest – Spicy Baked Ziti with Crumbles SPAM. Based my concoction on a recipe for Baked Ziti with Crumbles Italian Sausage found in Cover & Bake. Having entered this contest in the past, I had a good idea of the different kinds of dishes that would be submitted, and I not only wanted to prominently feature the main ingredient, I wanted to make something that I’d want to eat.
Here are the ingredients from the original recipe:
- Salt
- 1 pound Ziti or other short, tubular pasta
- 2 T olive oil
- 1 pound hot or sweet Italian sausage, removed from its casing SPAM (1 1/3 cans)
- 4 medium garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 t red pepper flakes
- 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 2 T coarsely chopped fresh basil
- Ground black pepper
- 8 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 1 2/3 cups)
- 1 oz Parmesan cheese, grated (about 1/2 cup)
Here are my additions and substitutions:
- 1 pound SPAM (1 1/3 cans) instead of the sausage
- Chef’s cut tomatoes instead of crushed tomatoes (Cento Chef’s Cut tomatoes are cut into strips instead of being crushed. They also have fresh basil added before they are canned.)
- Coriander, Cumin, and Cinnamon to taste
- Ground red pepper instead of red pepper flakes (1/4 to 1/2 t depending on your taste)
I began by pre-heating my oven to 400 degrees and putting a pot of water on to cook the pasta. I also got a skillet heating to brown the SPAM. While I waited for the oven, water, and skillet, I prepared the rest of the ingredients.
Since the original recipe called for the sausage to be removed from its casing and browned, I wanted the SPAM to be as close as possible to the consistency of the sausage, so I first diced it into 1/4 inch cubes. Then I used a potato masher to make it look more like ground meat. I also peeled and minced my garlic, picked some fresh basil from the plant I still have from last summer and got my seasonings ready to go.
Once my water reached a boil I added about 2 T of salt along with the pasta. That might sound like a lot of salt, but pasta water should taste like the sea; it’s the easiest way to impart flavor to your pasta and you’ll notice the difference in the finished dish. The Ziti normally takes about ten minutes to cook al dente, but since this dish finishes in the oven, I wanted the pasta to be slightly underdone before it went in the oven, so I set my timer for nine. When the pasta was done, I drained it, reserving about 1/4 cup of the water and added it back to the pot where I tossed it with 1 T of olive oil.
Meanwhile, I added 1 T of olive oil to my hot pan and when it began to shimmer, added the mashed SPAM. I cooked it until it started to brown, which took longer than it would it I had used the sausage. Once I obtained the brown I was looking for, I added the
Coriander, Cumin, and Cinnamon to taste. (These three spices–especially the Coriander and Cinnamon, used in very small quantities–can add amazing flavors to many dishes. They add and enhance flavors that you won’t be able to immediately recognize, you’ll just know it tastes good.) The garlic and red pepper are next, cooked until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Then, the tomatoes go in, simmering for about 10 minutes until slightly thickened. Finally, stir in the basil off the heat and add salt and pepper to taste.
Add the tomato sauce and reserved pasta water to the pasta and stir to combine. Pour half of the pasta into a 9 by 13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with half the mozzarella and half the Parmesan. Add the remaining pasta and top with the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan. Cover with foil and bake until the cheese
melts, about 15 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until the cheese begins to brown, about 5 minutes more.
I enjoyed putting this dish together and it turned out tasting very good. My competition included Chocolate Covered SPAM, Italian Wedding Soup with SPAM Meatballs, SPAM Corn Chowder, SPAM Sliders, SPAM Baked Beans, SPAM Carbonara, and SPAM Deviled Eggs, among other dishes. But alas, I did not win, didn’t even place in the top 5. Oh well, there’s always next year. At least I have half a dish of pasta to eat. And some leftover SPAM.
