Ground Beef Pasta

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  Olive oil(30g)

  Regular (not extra-virgin) olive oil for high-heat cooking. EVOO for dressings.

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  Yellow Onion
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  Carrots
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  1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
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  ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
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  Garlic(30g)
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  Italian seasoning(15g)
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  Red pepper flakes(1g)
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  93/7 Ground Beef(454g)
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  Tomato Paste(30g)
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  Low Sodium Beef Broth
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  Tomato Sauce
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  Pasta, Macaroni (Elbow), White, Dry(227g)
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  Cream Cheese, 1/3 Less Fat (Neufchatel)(57g)

  Standard block cream cheese. Neufchatel (1/3 less fat) is a good swap.

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  Parmesan Cheese(60g)

  Grated Parmesan — the shelf-stable canister is fine for cooking.

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  Parsley, Fresh(45g)

Instructions

1. 1Heat a Dutch oven or similar large, sturdy pot over medium-low heat. Add the oil onion, carrot, salt, and pepper. Let cook until the onion turns brown and soft, about 10 minutes (don't shortcut this step; it builds a lot of flavor).
2. 2Add the garlic, Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes. Let cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
3. 3Increase heat to medium-high and add the ground beef. With a wooden spoon, sturdy spatula, or better yet a meat chopper, break the meat into small pieces. Continue to brown, stirring periodically, until the meat is browned and cooked through, about 6 minutes.
4. 4Add the tomato paste. Cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes.
5. 5Pour in the beef broth. Scrape up any browned bits stuck to the pan.
6. 6Add the tomato sauce. Fill up the empty sauce can halfway with water then pour it into the pot. Stir to combine. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil.
7. 7Once the liquid is at a strong boil (not just simmering at the edges), stir in the pasta. Cook until al dente according to package instructions (I find I need to add a few more minutes for the right texture in this recipe), stirring often and scraping a spoon along the bottom of the pan to keep it from sticking. If at any point the pasta becomes too dry, add more water as needed.
8. 8Remove the pan from the heat. Add the cream cheese. Stir until it's melted and smoothly combined. Stir in the parmesan and half the parsley. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired. Enjoy hot, with additional parsley and Parmesan on top.