I’ve been posting recipes to the Internet for nearly ten years. And the fact that I have never posted the one recipe I make more than any other – I literally make it once a week at minimum – is…weird, to say the least. But what happens is that every time I make it and think, “Oh, I should take some shots and post about this!” I figure come on, suuuurely I already have, and so then I just go ahead and eat it.
Except last night I did a quick search on my site while I was stirring the sauce, and: nope. I’ve never posted it. (Why it took me this many years to “do a quick search while stirring the sauce” is a question I cannot answer for you.)
This recipe is technically named for my son, but ok, I’ll tell you the truth: I named it after my son because he loves it, yeah yeah, but mostly because I love it, and now whenever I make it I get to seem like an amazing parent who is making her son’s favorite meal for dinner while actually eating…my favorite meal. (Very selfless over here.)
It’s basically a bolognese, but has evolved over the years while I’ve pulled bits and pieces out of various recipes I’ve tried, and I am pleased to say that I have now achieved total pasta perfection. (And, thanks to the bounty of vegetables that are in there, it’s relatively healthy, as pastas go.)
And so, I present to you:
Jordan Pasta. (Just being honest.)
JORDAN PASTA
What You Need:
- 1 package pasta of choice (I like spaghetti or linguine for this)
- 1/2 yellow onion, finely diced
- 1 cup carrots, diced
- 1 cup celery, diced
- 4-6 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 16-oz package ground beef (85% lean works best, but really: whatever)
- 1 tsp tomato paste
- 1 28-oz can diced tomatoes
- 1 14-oz can tomato sauce
- Handful fresh basil
What You Do:
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions, then drain (reserving a little bit of the pasta water in case you need it to loosen the sauce later).
- In a large saucepan with high sides, heat a little olive oil. Add the ground beef, season with salt and pepper, and cook about five minutes, frequently pressing down on the beef with the back of a spoon to break it up, until just cooked through. Using a slotted spoon, remove the beef and set aside.
- In the same saucepan (adding a little more olive oil), cook the onion, carrots and celery, stirring frequently, about 5-6 minutes, or until softened. Add the garlic for the last 30 seconds of cooking and stir constantly.
- Return the meat to the pot, then add the diced tomatoes and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for…I don’t know, like fifteen minutes? Less if you’re starving; more if you can wait – a little longer tends to be better.
- When you’re happy with the sauce, season to taste, then pour in the pasta and toss it all together. Really get those muscles in there, and add a little pasta water if you feel like it needs to be thinned out a touch.
- Serve by ripping up a bit of the fresh basil and sprinkling it over the top – oh, and with fresh shaved parmigiana if you’re feeling fancy.
