pasta and easy italian meat sauce... 30 minutes

 

the goods:

 

4 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 carrot, grated

1 onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 pound ground beef

1 can (28 ounces) whole tomatoes

1/2 cup milk

1 dried bay leaf

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 pound fettuccine

grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

 

Heat the butter and oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the carrot, onion, and garlic. Add the ground beef, and cook until it browns, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and their liquid, crushing them with the back of a large spoon. Stir in the milk, bay leaf, thyme, nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Simmer for 20 minutes.

 

Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the fettuccine until al dente according to the package instructions. Reserve about 1/2 cup of the cooking water, and drain the fettuccine. Return it to the warm pot. Add the meat sauce, and toss. Add the reserved pasta water as needed if the sauce seems too dry. To serve, sprinkle with Parmesan.