Lunch: Spaghetti with Bacon and Beef Sauce

Ingredients

About 2 tablespoons EVOO
4 ounces smoky bacon, chopped
1 pound ground sirloin
3 to 4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 fresh bay leaves
1 Fresno chile pepper, finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
Pinch ground cloves
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 cup beef stock
1 tablespoon tomato paste
One 14-ounce can Italian crushed tomatoes
1 pound spaghetti
Grated pecorino, for serving
Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

Instructions

Heat a drizzle of EVOO in a pot over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook until browned. Transfer the bacon to a plate and pour the fat from the pot. Add 2 turns of the pan of EVOO. Pat the beef dry, then add it to the pot and cook until browned, crumbling the meat with a wooden spoon. Add the garlic, bay leaves, chile pepper, onions, cloves, a little salt and lots of pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes. Add the wine and deglaze the pan, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom. Add the beef stock and tomato paste, then stir in the crushed tomatoes and bacon. Simmer until thickened.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta and season with salt. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid, then drain the pasta. Add the cooking liquid and the pasta to the sauce and toss to combine.
Serve the pasta topped with cheese and parsley.
Cook's Note: If you are not serving the sauce immediately, cool and store in the refrigerator. Reheat over medium heat.

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