🍝 Spaghetti with Meat Sauce

Ingredients

• Sauce

• 1 tbsp Olive oil
• 1 lb Ground beef, 85% lean
• 1 Yellow onion, chopped
• 1 Carrots, finely grated (optional, adds sweetness)
• 3 clove Garlic, minced
• 1 can Crushed tomatoes
• 2 tbsp Tomato paste
• 1½ tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 tsp Granulated sugar
• ¾ tsp Table salt
• ¼ tsp Ground black pepper
• ¼ tsp Crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

• Pasta

• 1 lb Spaghetti
• 1 tbsp Table salt, for the pasta water (most is poured off, so it is left out of nutrition)

• To serve

• ½ cup Grated Parmesan (optional)

Nutrition

Steps

You’ll need: large pot, large skillet or saucepan, colander.

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef, onion and carrot and cook, breaking up the meat, until no pink remains and the beef reaches 160°F, about 8 minutes. Spoon off extra fat. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute.
2. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, sugar, salt, pepper and pepper flakes. Bring to a simmer, then lower the heat and cook 20 minutes, stirring now and then.
3. While the sauce simmers, bring a large pot of water to a boil with 1 tablespoon salt. Cook the spaghetti until tender, following the package time. Save 1/2 cup of the cooking water, then drain.
4. Toss the pasta with about half the sauce, adding a little pasta water if it looks dry. Serve the rest of the sauce on top with Parmesan.

🌡 Safe temperaturesGround beef 160°F. Check the thickest part with a food thermometer (USDA). More on food safety.