Fusilli with Meat Sauce

Hi everyone, Sarah here:

It's been a beautiful weekend, so Becca and I decided to go hiking at Great Falls National Park today.  While hiking, I got a little hungry and invented tonight's dinner in my head.  I completely invented this recipe, although there are many similar recipes out there, and it really hit the spot.  Absolutely delicious. 

Happy cooking, and enjoy!

Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a pot.

Dice up one large onion and add it to the pot.

Get out a pound of ground beef.

Add it to the pot with the onion.

Mince a few cloves of garlic and add them to the pot with the onions and ground beef.

Cook until the ground beef is browned and the onions are soft, and drain off the extra fat.

 

While the ground beef is cooking, bring a large pot of water to a boil and add in a pound of fusilli pasta.

Open a 28-oz can of whole peeled tomatoes.

Use your hands to tear apart the tomatoes into small pieces and add them to the pot with the ground beef.

Add in a quarter cup of red wine.

Add in a couple of tablespoons of diced sun-dried tomatoes.

Open a 28-oz can of crushed fire-roasted tomatoes and add them to the pot.

Mix in a tablespoon of Italian seasoning.

And a pinch of red pepper flakes.

Bring the mixture to a boil, turn down the heat, and simmer for 15 minutes.

 

Once the pasta is al dente, drain it and set aside.

After about 15 minutes, the sauce should have simmered and thickened somewhat.

Add the pasta to the pot with the sauce and mix together.

Pour the pasta into a 9x13 inch baking dish.

Cover with 2 cups of shredded cheese.  I used an Italian 6-cheese blend, but you could just use mozzarella if that's all you have around.

Put the pasta under the broiler for 5-10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and golden brown.

Yummmm.

Enjoy!

Fusilli with Meat Sauce
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion
3 cloves garlic
1 lb ground beef
28-oz can whole peeled tomatoes
1/4 cup red wine
3 tbsp. chopped sun-dried tomatoes
28-oz can crushed fire roasted tomatoes
1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning
Pinch red pepper flakes
1 lb fusilli pasta
2 cups Italian 5-cheese blend

Heat 1 tbsp. olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.   Chop a large onion and 3 cloves of garlic.  Add ground beef, onion and garlic to the pot and cook until beef is browned and onion is soft.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil and add in a pound of fusilli pasta.  Cook until al dente, drain and set aside.

Once the beef is browned, drain the excess fat.  Open the can of whole peeled tomatoes and crush with your hands into bite-size pieces.  Add them to the pot with the ground beef.

Add in the wine, sundried tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, and spices and bring to a boil.  Lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, until sauce has thickened.

Mix the pasta and the sauce together in the pot, and pour into a 9x13 inch pan.  Cover the pasta with shredded cheese, and place under the broiler.  Broil for 5-10 minutes, until cheese is melted and golden brown.  Serve with garlic bread and salad.