Spicy, Creamy Weeknight Bolognese

Ingredients

Ingredients

• salt and black pepper
• 1 lb ground beef (at least 20 percent fat)
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 to 3 tbsp red curry paste
• 15 oz tomato sauce
• 1 lb short, curled pasta, such as pipettes
• 1 cups heavy cream

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
2. Meanwhile, heat a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over high until very hot. Add the beef, and smush and spread in a single layer. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then cook, stirring, to break into tiny bits and cook through, 4 to 5 minutes.
3. Push the meat to one side, and add the onion and carrots to the beef fat on the other side. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally with the beef, until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.
4. Add the curry paste, 2 tablespoons for a mild spiciness and 3 for more heat, and stir until darkened in color, 2 to 3 minutes. Pour in the tomato sauce, then fill the can a third of the way up with water to swish out the rest of the sauce into the pot. Stir, bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low and simmer while the pasta cooks.
5. Cook the pasta in the boiling water until al dente. Save 1/2 cup pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta and add to the simmering sauce.
6. Stir the cream into the sauced pasta, taste and season with salt and pepper. For a thinner sauce, stir in a bit of the pasta water. Serve hot.