Bucatini Pasta with Red Sauce

Let me start by saying that I LOVE Bucatini pasta. When I was a little girl, I would suck in the bucatini noodles and wait for the little splash of sauce on my face when I reached the end...okay I was very little when I did that. But I always continued to love this pasta. It's thick and filling. The hole in the center of each noodle allows it to take in more sauce than your average spaghetti or other pasta. Because Bucatini takes in sauce so well, I like to make it with a rich and meaty sauce. You can find Bucatini at most grocery stores but they don't have that many so you have to look look for it. I've noticed that not a lot of people are familiar with it but trust me once you try it I think you'll love it. So here is the recipe I like to use for Bucatini. Of course, you can use any red sauce but I recommend this one. Here's another picture...

Instructions:

In a medium sauce pan heat up 1/3 cup olive oil, 4 garlic cloves, and 1 cup minced onion until caramelized. Add 1/2 cup shredded carrots and cook until soft. Add 1/2lb lean ground beef. Once brown, add 2 tbs oregano, 2 tbs parsley, 2tbs  basil, 1 bay leaf, 1tbs black pepper, 1tsp cayenne pepper, 1/2 cup granulated white sugar, 1tbs cumin, 2tbs salt. Stir well and cook together for about 3-5 minutes. Add 1 can diced tomatoes, 1 cup tomato sauce. Stir and cover. Cook on low heat for 15 then add 1/2 cup water, stir and cook another 30 minutes. Check for salt...you can add a little more to taste. I find the taste changes a little after cooking, so check as you go and feel free to add more herbs and spices if you'd like. Cook according to instructions on package, drain, and put it in the sauce pan and let it sit in the sauce for 10 minutes before serving. You can sprinkle cheese on top, but in this case I like to enjoy the bucatini with the juicy sauce on their own. ENJOY!