Penne Pasta with Meat Sauce

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound penne pasta
• Salt
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cups chopped onion
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• Dash red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound ground beef
• 3 fresh basil leaves, chopped
• 2 1/2 cups canned chunky tomato sauce
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Directions

1. Bring a large pot filled with 4 quarts of water to a boil. When it is bubbling, stir in 2 Tbsp of salt. After the water comes back up to a boil, add the penne. Cook it uncovered over high heat at a lively boil for 8-10 minutes, or follow the package timing for al dente pasta that is tender but still firm. Drain the pasta.
2. While the water is heating, get the sauce going. Warm the olive oil in a very large skillet over medium heat, then add the chopped onion, Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring now and then, until the onion has softened. Stir in the garlic and fresh thyme, and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 1 minute more, just until the garlic smells fragrant. Take the skillet off the heat and set it aside.
3. Set a large cast iron pan over high heat. Sprinkle the bottom generously with salt. When the pan is hot, add the ground beef in small pieces without stirring it right away. Work in batches if needed, because crowding the pan will keep the meat from browning well.
4. If the beef starts to burn instead of brown, move the pan off the burner briefly and lower the heat to medium high. Once the first side has browned, after a couple of minutes, turn the pieces with a metal spatula so the second side can brown too. If you are using cast iron, you can take the pan off the heat at this point and let the pan’s leftover heat finish cooking the beef.
5. With a slotted spoon, transfer the browned beef into the skillet with the seasoned onions. Pour in the tomato sauce, then use the edge of the metal spatula to break any large pieces of beef into smaller bits. Stir in the basil and a teaspoon of sugar. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer over low heat and cook it uncovered for 15 minutes.
6. After the sauce has simmered for 15 minutes, taste and adjust the seasoning. Add salt and pepper as needed, a little more sugar if the sauce tastes too sharp, or more tomato sauce if it seems dry. Stir in the cooked penne, sprinkle with chopped parsley, and serve right away.