Spaghetti with Basil Meat Sauce

Spaghetti tossed in a rich beef, tomato and basil sauce with red wine and a splash of cream.

Ingredients

• Pasta and Meat Sauce — 1 lb Spaghetti (Gluten-Free Optional)
• Pasta and Meat Sauce — 1 lb 85/15 Ground Beef
• Pasta and Meat Sauce — 4 Garlic Cloves Minced (Pressed is Optimal)
• Pasta and Meat Sauce — 1 Shallot Minced
• Pasta and Meat Sauce — 10-12 Basil Leaves
• Pasta and Meat Sauce — ¼ cup Fresh Italian Parsley Minced
• Pasta and Meat Sauce — 1 cup Tomato Puree
• Pasta and Meat Sauce — ¼ cup Tomato Paste
• Pasta and Meat Sauce — 1 cup Freshly Grated (Finely Grated is Optimal) Locatelli Cheese
• Pasta and Meat Sauce — 1 cup Red Wine
• Pasta and Meat Sauce — ½ cup Light Cream
• Pasta and Meat Sauce — 2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Pasta and Meat Sauce — 2 Tbsp Salted Butter Cut into 2 Pieces
• Pasta and Meat Sauce — 1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes (We used Hot Iron Pantry’s Warm Seasoning Salt)
• Pasta and Meat Sauce — Kosher Salt to Taste
• Pasta and Meat Sauce — Coarse Ground Black Pepper to Taste

Method

1. START THE SAUCE: Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Cook the garlic and shallot for 2 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook for 3 minutes, stirring.
2. BROWN THE BEEF: Add the beef, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Break up the meat and cook for about 5 minutes, until mostly browned. Add the wine and cook for 3–5 minutes.
3. SIMMER: Stir in the butter until melted. Add the tomato purée and cook for 2–3 minutes. Add the cream and bring to a gentle simmer. Lower the heat, stir in the basil and parsley and keep the sauce warm while the pasta cooks.
4. FINISH THE PASTA: Cook the spaghetti in salted water until al dente. Transfer to the sauce with about ½ cup pasta water and cook for 2–3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the Locatelli. Add more pasta water if needed to loosen the sauce.