Spaghetti with Ground Meat and Tomato Paste

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   How do you make homemade spaghetti with ground meat and tomato paste? You can use store-bought or homemade ground meat — pork, beef, chicken, or any kind at all. If, like me, you prefer homemade, I recommend running the meat through the grinder twice to make it more tender. Mine is ground beef. Cover the ground meat with plastic wrap and let it rest in the fridge for now.

2. Step 2:

   

   Pour cold filtered water into a pot and set it over medium heat. Don't add salt yet, so the water boils faster.

3. Step 3:

   

   Heat the sunflower oil in a non-stick skillet and add the finely chopped onion. Fry it over medium heat until golden.

4. Step 4:

   

   Stand the spaghetti upright in the pot of boiling water and, as it softens, use a spoon to ease it all the way into the water. Then salt the water to taste.

5. Step 5:

   

   Cook the spaghetti, stirring occasionally, for one minute less than the package directions say. I cooked mine for six minutes after the water came back to a boil. But everyone's spaghetti is different, so follow the package. While the spaghetti cooks, let's get to the meat.

6. Step 6:

   

   Add the ground meat to the skillet and fry, stirring, for about a minute. The meat should change color.

7. Step 7:

   

   Once the excess moisture has cooked off, add the tomato paste and salt the dish to taste. You can also add your favorite spices that go with meat.

8. Step 8:

   

   Simmer the meat over low heat, stirring occasionally, for about five minutes.

9. Step 9:

   

   Ideally the spaghetti should be done by now. Drain it in a colander and let the excess water run off, then transfer it to the skillet with the meat.

10. Step 10:

    

    Gently toss everything with a cooking spatula so you don't break the spaghetti.

11. Step 11:

    

    Warm the spaghetti, covered, for a couple of minutes. That's exactly why we left it slightly undercooked in the pot — otherwise it would overcook in the skillet. Serve the spaghetti with ground meat in tomato sauce hot. You can serve extra tomato sauce or ketchup alongside and garnish with fresh herbs.