Ingredients
Scale
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 1 small red bell pepper, finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (5 ounce) can tomato paste
- 4 cups beef stock
- 1 pound uncooked pasta (I used shells)
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Mexican-blend cheese
- toppings: diced avocado, finely-chopped fresh cilantro, lime wedges and/or sour cream
Instructions
- Sauté the beef and veggies. Heat the olive oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and sauté, breaking it up with a wooden spoon as it cooks, for 3 minutes. Add the onion, bell pepper, garlic and continue sautéing for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the beef is browned and the veggies are softened. Stir in the tomato paste until it is evenly combined.
- Simmer. Add the beef stock, 1 cup water, pasta, chili powder, cumin, salt, oregano and stir to combine. Continue cooking until the broth reaches a simmer. Reduce heat to medium, or whatever temperature is needed to maintain a simmer. Continue cooking for 10 minutes or until the pasta is *just* al dente, stirring the pasta frequently so that it does not accidentally burn on the bottom. If you find that you need more liquid to finish cooking the pasta, just stir in ⅓ cup of additional water whenever needed. (The pasta should be saucy but not overly-soupy once it reaches al dente. Remember that the sauce will thicken up considerably once the cheese is added!)
- Season. Add the cheese and stir until combined. Taste and season with additional salt if needed.
- Serve. Serve immediately, topped with your desired toppings, and enjoy!
Equipment
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