Marlboro Man Pasta

If you’re a fan of the Pioneer Woman, you’ll realize from the title (and the reference to her codename for her husband, Marlboro Man) and know immediately that this is a recipe from her Web site. She calls this recipe “Pasta alla Marlboro Man.”

Here’s how this went down: it was a Monday night. I was tired. I’d spent most of the weekend eating leftover pizza, food someone brought me from a local Mexican restaurant, and other somewhat junk foods. Tired and cold from the sudden switch in the weather, I needed something warm and hearty. Also, I’d defrosted a pound of ground beef in the fridge all weekend and needed to use it. What to do? What to make? Certainly not not-so-creative choices like burgers or meatloaf. So I searched the Pioneer Woman’s site and came up with this recipe.

Ready?

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1/2 of an onion (chopped) and 1/2 of a green bell pepper (chopped). [Note: PW’s recipe doesn’t use green pepper. I can’t leave a recipe alone and thought it would be a nice addition. It was.] Cook for a few minutes until the onions start to turn translucent and the pepper becomes tender.

2. Add minced garlic and cook for about a minute, until the garlic is browned.

3. Add ground beef and cook until brown. [Note: PW recipe calls for 2 pounds of ground beef. I used one pound of lean ground beef.] When the meat is browned, you’ll want to drain most of the excess fat or grease. Leave a small amount for taste. If your ground beef is very lean (like mine) you might not even need to drain at all, unless you just want to.

4. Add salt and pepper to taste, then add a teaspoon of thyme. [Note: PW’s recipe called for ground thyme, but I only had thyme leaves and it worked well.] I’m not sure if I used a teaspoon. . . I may have used a tablespoon. A reason not to cook when you’re tired! Anyway, stir to combine all the seasoning, then add canned tomatoes. [Note: PW’s recipe called for 2 cans of whole tomatoes. I only had petite diced tomatoes, so I put them to work and it worked fine.]

(looks a little Christmas-y, eh?)

5. After adding the tomatoes, stir, reduce the heat, cover, and let the sauce cook for 30 minutes, stirring only a few times.

6. After 30 minutes, uncover the pot and and let the sauce cook uncovered for another 30 minutes, stirring sparingly.

7. When you have about 15 minutes left with the sauce, put your pasta on to boil. I used penne because it’s what I had; the recipe calls for rigatoni. Cook the pasta in salted water and don’t overcook.

8. Right before serving, stir 1/4 to 1/2 cup of grated (I used shredded; grated would be better) Parmesan cheese into the sauce, then ladle over the pasta. Top with a bit of Parmesan cheese and enjoy.

It was a nice hearty meal on a cool night and reminded me more of the goulash my mom used to make than an authentic Italian dish. I served it with a simple salad and pretty much cleaned my plate.

Ingredients: Olive oil 1/2 onion chopped 1/2 green pepper chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced salt and pepper to taste 1 teaspoon ground thyme 2 cans tomatoes (diced or whole, whatever floats your boat) 1/4-1/2 cups Parmesan cheese Pasta, cooked to package directions.

Level of difficulty: Easy Peasy Time: A little over an hour start to finish Soundtrack: Lightning 100