Spicy spaghetti and Meat Sauce

If you don't know by now... I am a HUGE fan of pasta dishes and make them quite frequently. As a matter of fact, I don't think I've ever eaten a pasta dish I didn't like. Since I began to learn how to cook and experiment in the kitchen, I have always wanted to make my own meat sauce from scratch. While there are some decent jarred pasta sauces out there (Trader Joe's Creamy Tomato Basil, get in my belly!), I think there is something special about a homemade sauce. A few weeks ago, I finally decided to try my hand in this department and came out with a pretty tasty pasta sauce if I do say so myself. Even Ryan liked it and he HATES tomatoes! 

Ingredients: 

• 1 box spaghetti
  (I used vermicelli) 
• 1 large sweet onion, chopped
• 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp. minced garlic
• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 tbsp. ground cumin
• 2 tbsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. crushed red pepper
• 1 tsp. black pepper
• 1 tbsp. dried oregano
• 1 tbsp. rosemary
• 2 (14.5 oz.) cans of diced tomatoes
• 1 (14.5 oz.) can tomato sauce
• 2 tbsp. tomato paste
• ½ cup reduced-sodium beef broth
• Parmesan Cheese for topping

Directions: 

1. Cook pasta according to package instructions, reserving 1/2 cup of cooking water before draining. 
2. Saute the onion in a large skillet (I used the cast iron) over medium-high heat in olive oil. Add garlic to the pan and continue to saute for about 4-5 minutes, or until the onions become translucent. 
3. Add ground beef to the pot and cook until the meat browns. 
4. Add all of the spices and stir to combine. Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, and beef broth and simmer for 10 minutes. 
5. Add the cooked pasta and cooking water, tossing to combine. Let simmer on the stove for a few minutes to thicken the sauce. 
6. Enjoy! 

So good! Next time I make this sauce, I might try my hand at canning to store some for a later date since this recipe makes a decent amount of sauce! 

I can officially cross #31 off of my 101 in 1001 list!

Happy Bachelorette Monday Night, y'all!