1 lb macaroni
1 lb ground beef (96% lean)
1 large onion (chopped finely)
3 tbsp tomato paste
1 cup chopped parsley
2 tbsp olive oil
1 ½ tsp salt
½ tsp ground black pepper
¾ cup water
For boiling Macaroni:
4-6 quarts water
1 tsp salt
½ tsp oil (canola or olive oil)
Heat the water in a large pot until it boils. Add macaroni to the boiling water. Add salt to bring out the flavor of the macaroni and ½ tsp of oil so that the macaroni does not stick together. Boil for 9-10 minutes on high heat. Do not over cook.
While the macaroni is boiling, heat olive oil in a large pan on medium heat and add ground beef. Stir occasionally, but try not to separate the ground beef too much so that it stays in small clusters. The taste of the ground beef comes out nicely when it is in clusters rather than in small particles. Add the chopped onions and sautee for 3-4 minutes. Add the 1 tsp of the salt, the black pepper. Dissolve the tomato paste in the water and add to the ground beef and stir. Cook for a few minutes.
Drain the macaroni and add to the ground beef and mix well. Be careful not to let the macaroni sit too long outside its water. I usually add the macaroni to the sauce as soon as I remove it from the heat. Add the rest of the salt and cook for a couple minutes.You can either stir in the parsley or you could just sprinkle parsley on top. Enjoy this delicious meal with plain yogurt and your favorite salad.
