This is by far one of my favorite go-to recipes. No, this isn’t an all day version but rather something a little quicker with the help of sauce from a jar. While this may seem cringe-worthy, not all jarred sauces are bad! There are a million out there, but for this to taste good, I highly recommend getting a sauce that has minimal ingredients and no added sugar. Tomatoes are sweet enough and the longer this sauce simmers, the more that starts to come out. If you’re a Costco member, my favorite and recommended sauce is Victoria! When it comes to wine, pick something you would be happy to drink (plus it never hurts to have a glass on hand while making this), but don’t waste something super fancy.

Directions:

Heat a large dutch oven over medium heat and add 2 tbsp of olive oil. Add the ground beef, a hefty pinch of salt, and optional chili flakes and brown the meat. I don’t mean until it turns brown, you want this to be BROWN. Literally cook the hell out of the beef until the neighbors can smell it (don’t worry, you don’t have to share). What we are looking for is that brown crust you get on steak (and all the wonderful umami flavor that goes with it) and that doesn’t happen until the majority of the water in the meat boils off. For the nerds out there, the Maillard reaction responsible for this browning starts at 250˚ F but water boils at 212˚ F, hence why we need to get rid of it. Browning to this level can take 20-30 minutes so be patient! As the water boils off, the overall temperature of the pan will start to climb, so be prepared to start stirring in the later steps to prevent things from sticking too much.

While this is cooking, dice the onions and carrots – we want to aim for pieces around the size of the ground meat bits, so get a little crazy with the chopping or use a food processor. Alternatively, you can also use a blender.

When you finally get to that dark brown, crunchy state, add the tomato paste and really mix it into the meat. The pan should be pretty darn hot at this point so keep it moving to prevent scorching. If things look like they are sticking too much, add a little wine and scrape the bottom. After about 5 minutes, the mixture will begin to pick up a brown/orangeish color. Add any remaining wine and really scrape the bottom of the pan to free up all that deliciousness. Add the onions and carrots and sauté for another 5 minutes while stirring, or until the onions start to go translucent. Gently add the jarred sauce, mix, and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes to 2 hours. Make sure to freeze any leftovers for quick meals during the week or after an all-day adventure!

Now comes the important part – the pasta!! Pro Tip: Always cook your pasta right before you’re ready to eat!

For a dish like this, pick a sturdy noodle that can really hold sauce, such as tubes, shells, or spirals. Bring your water to a full boil and add 2 tbsp. of salt. This is your first chance to add some flavor to those noodles so take advantage of it! Add your noodles and cook to their recommended al-dente time minus one minute. Don’t forget to give your noodles a stir a few times to ensure even cooking. When done, strain your noodles but do not rinse them! We want to keep that nice starchy layer on the outside as it will help the sauce stick better.

If you were to just add the sauce to the noodles at this point, you’ll wind up with a puddle of water under your pasta. To get around this, add your cooked noodles back into the pot and toss in a few scoops of sauce. Heat over medium heat for 30 seconds while stirring. Transfer this magical mix to a bowl or plate, top with Parmesan (I prefer grated super fine or shaved with a peeler) and dig in!