Pasta With Meat Sauce

Last night, I had a great time making my quick weeknight version of pasta with meat sauce. This recipe combines jarred tomato sauce with a nice meat base and makes for a perfect hearty winter meal. I usually enjoy making the full sauce from scratch but sometimes when I do not have very much time, this is just as good. I highly recommend making this dish if you are looking for a quick weeknight dinner that has only 8 ingredients and is ready in 30 minutes.

Ingredients-

• Olive Oil
• Salt+Pepper
• White Mushrooms- Sliced and cut down small. I bought pre cut but you can also buy them bulk and cut them on their own
• 1 pound 85% lean, 15% fat ground beef
• 1 medium sized yellow onion, diced
• grated parmesan cheese
• 1 jar tomato sauce- your choice! I really like to use a brand called Raos but any brand works
• Pasta- your choice! For this batch,  I used Cellentani but I sometimes use spaghetti or even rigatoni

Directions-

• Heat up a large deep bottomed pan with about 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
• fill a pot with water, add salt and olive oil and boil for the pasta.
• Once the water is boiling, add the pasta and cook according to the directions.
• Once the oil is hot, add the onion and let cook for a few minutes until it is fragrant and caramelized a little bit.
• Once the onion is cooked, Add the cut mushrooms to the pan and let cook until they are softened- about 3 minutes. Add a pinch of salt and pepper for seasoning.
• Move the onions and mushrooms over to one side of the pan and add the ground beef to the other side of the pan. Cook the meat until there is no red left and it is fully brown in color. While the meat is cooking, break it up using your spatula so that it is in small chunks. Season with salt and pepper again and red pepper flakes if you want to add a little bit of heat to the sauce.
• Once the meat has fully cooked, let it combine with the onions and mushrooms  for a few minutes to develop the flavors. I always like the taste better when the ingredients are given time to develop together.
• Add the pasta sauce to your pan with the meat, onions and mushrooms. Let cook for a few minutes, stirring to combine.
• Add about 1/2 your grated parmesan cheese to your pan and let it melt in to your sauce.
• Taste your sauce and adjust for seasoning—- I often have to add more salt, pepper or cheese.
• Once you think it tastes good, add the cooked pasta to your sauce and stir to combine.
• Serve in bowls and garnish with basil and the other half of your freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Overall:

I really recommend making this dish if you are out of ideas for a nice weeknight dinner and want something different. I really enjoyed making this dish and make it at least 2 times a month as it is quick and easy. I really enjoy how the flavors come together and how it adds heartiness to a pasta dish. Although it does not taste as good as a homemade meat sauce, it still tastes really good and takes a lot less time to make. So, if you are in a time crunch and are looking for something delicious, I highly recommend making this dish.