Margaret..you won't be sorry. This soup is great on a day...when your get up and go...got up and went....
Here is another...quickie
BE AWARE...you can take away 3/4 of this recipe in time and clean up if you purchase a jar sauce. My 43 year old daughter has never made a sauce... (now...you have to understand...in our family..that is a major crime ) we make sauce like others fold towels...daily! Of course ...she won't touch raw meat either....I think my child was stolen and a cuckoo bird dropped this one in the nest.,,
We made this all the time growing up... ( I had 13 siblings). This is an internet recipe I swiped for time sake... ..BUT it is exactly as we do it...except we have a sauce in the freezer waiting to go...so quick.
Also.. I bake the pasta in the bundt same as here.....but I put ricotta and the other two cheeses on the top and bake..no ricotta in this recipe.......then...I take out and let set up ( cool) and right before serving, I add more mozzarella and parm..and put back for another 10 -15 min..
Sometimes I stud top with 'rounds' cut from previously fried up sweet sausage .
Ingredients
* 1 lb rigatoni pasta
* 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
* 1lb ground beef (I used ground sirloin) 85/15 or 80/20
* 2 -3 garlic cloves, crushed
* 1⁄4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
* 1 (28 ounce) cangood quality crushed tomatoes ( San Marzano best brand does not matter)
* butter, for pan
* salt
* 1cup finely grated FRESH parmesan cheese
* 8 ounces coarsely grated whole milk mozzarella
To this list I would add sugar and dried sweet basil
Directions
* In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook pasta until AL DENTE - slightly underdone IMPORTANT (I cooked mine for 12 minutes when the box indicated 14 minutes). One pound of pasta should be cooked in 6 quarts of water, make sure you are using a big enough pot so the pasta doesn't stick together. When done, rinse in cold water and drain again. Toss pasta with 1 Tablespoon olive oil to coat. Set aside.
* Heat remaining 1 Tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef. Cook, stirring occasionally until browned. Add garlic, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper. Cook 2 minutes more. I ADD A 1/4 cup sugar too) and dried sweet basil..but that is my sauce,..
* Add crushed tomatoes; simmer until thickened, about 20 minutes.
* Toss pasta with Parmesan cheese. Butter a 9-inch springform pan. Tightly pack pasta into pan, standing each piece on end. Spread meat sauce on top of pasta.
* Push the meat sauce into the pasta holes filling each one up. Stuffing the meat into the holes is a weirdly satisfying task. Enough said.
* Place in a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top and bake another 10-15 minutes until cheese is golden. Remove from oven and let stand for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the edge to loosen and then unmold.
* Cut into wedges and serve with any remaining meat sauce you might have
The kids love this. It cuts like a pie. We make it with spaghetti too...but in a fry pan ..it does not come out as pretty ..when you get done you will wish you made two
