Good Pasta

Ingredients

⁃Pureed Cento peeled tomatoes for marinara

-1 lb. 80/20 Ground Chunk

⁃3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

⁃1 diced white onion

⁃4 finely minced garlic clove

⁃1 tbsp tomato paste (heaping spoonful)

⁃1 tsp kosher salt

⁃1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

⁃1 bay leaf

-Wine

⁃Trader Joe’s brand pasta noodles

Directions

1. Put ground beef in dutch oven and cook til brown

2. Add olive oil and cook diced onions on stove until yellow

3. Put heat on medium to initially warm up then LOW. Want to see LIGHT BUBBLES AND SIZZLE

4. Puree tomatoes

5. When onions get translucent, form them into a donut. In the middle add: garlic, tomato paste, and a splash of red wine if have it. Let cook until you can smell garlic. Optional: Add red pepper flakes

6. Stir to combine ingredients and cook until color reaches orangeish-red

7. Add puree’d tomatoes and stir

8. Add 3 finger pinch of salt, black pepper, and 1 bay leaves sometime before boiling

9. Simmer to reduce for 20-30 minutes

10. Make noodles when 10 minutes into simmer

11. Add salt to taste (0.5-1 tsp)

12. Put noodles into pasta sauce bowl!!!

13. Top with mozzarella

Notes

Make it umami: Add in 2 links of hot Italian sausage along with ground chunk.

Make it spicier: Double (or even triple) the amount of crushed red pepper flakes in the recipe.

Make it herbier: Substitute 1 bay leaf with 4 sprigs of fresh basil. Maybe toss in a sprig of fresh rosemary, sage, or thyme, if happen to have one on hand.

Make it extra buttery: Stir an extra tablespoon or two of butter into the sauce just before serving. Makes it taste decadent and delicious.

Make it creamy: If want more of a rose sauce, you can stir 1/2 cup of heavy cream into the marinara.

Make it chunkier: If want an even chunkier sauce, do not puree the tomatoes. Alternatively, forgo any blender and break up the tomatoes as much or as little as desired with a wooden spoon.