Ingredients:

  • 2 Tbsp Olive Oil or Vegetable Oil
  • 1 Large Yellow Onion, diced
  • 2 Cloves Garlic, minced
  • 5 lb (680 g) Lean Ground Beef (90/10 suggested)
  • 1 tsp Dried Oregano
  • ½ tsp Dried Basil
  • Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper, to taste
  • 1 (28 oz / 794 g) Can Crushed Tomatoes
  • 2 cups (475 ml) Beef Broth (low-sodium)
  • 2 Tbsp (30 ml) Worcestershire Sauce
  • 1 Tbsp (15 ml) Brown Sugar
  • 1 Bay Leaf
  • 1 cup (225g) Elbow Macaroni
  • ½ cup (120 ml) Reserved Pasta Cooking Water
  • ½ cup (50g) Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese, for serving (optional)
  • Fresh Parsley, chopped (for garnish)

Instructions:

  1. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook until softened and translucent, about 5–7 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Increase the heat to medium-high. Add the ground beef to the pot, breaking it up with a spoon, and cook until thoroughly browned. Drain off any excess fat thoroughly. Season the beef mixture generously with salt, pepper, oregano, and basil.
  2. Pour in the crushed tomatoes, beef broth, and Worcestershire sauce. Stir in the brown sugar and add the bay leaf. Bring the mixture up to a gentle simmer. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot partially, and let the sauce simmer for 20 minutes to allow the flavors to marry. After 20 minutes, remove the bay leaf. Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning as necessary.
  3. While the sauce simmers, cook the elbow macaroni according to package directions in a separate pot of salted boiling water until al dente (usually 1 minute less than suggested). Before draining, scoop out and reserve about ½ cup (120 ml) of the starchy pasta cooking water. Drain the macaroni well.
  4. Add the drained macaroni directly into the pot with the simmering meat sauce. Stir well to coat every piece. If the mixture seems too thick, slowly stir in a little of the reserved pasta water until you reach a pleasing, slightly looser consistency. Ladle generously into bowls. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and an optional sprinkling of sharp Cheddar cheese.