Taste of Tuesday: Hearty Beef Penne

Good morning! It's starting to feel a bit chilly in these parts, so over the weekend I decided to make this hearty dish. It took a bit longer than expected to make, but it turned out wonderful and made my apartment smell ah-mazing! The original recipe can be found here, but I made some alterations (mainly because the recipe called for a Dutch oven, which I don't have).

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
1 3/4 cups uncooked penne
1 tsp minced garlic
1 can (15 oz) tomato puree (is this the same as tomato paste or sauce? Because that's what I used)
1 can (14.5 oz) beef broth
1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 cups fresh chopped spinach (or one 10 oz package of frozen spinach)
2 cups of shredded Mozzarella cheese (I had a Mexican mix, so that's what I used- still tasty!)

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to directions on the package

2. Meanwhile, cook beef until no longer pink. Add garlic, cook for one more minute. Drain

3. Add tomato puree, salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, and broth.

4. Bring to a boil, and reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 min uncovered, or until sauce is thickened. (This step actually took me close to 40 minutes, but maybe I reduced the heat too much? I just waited for the sauce to thicken.)

5.  Add spinach, cook for 1-2 min or until spinach is wilted

6. Drain pasta, and stir into beef mixture. Sprinkle with cheese and cook, covered, for 3-4 min or until cheese is melty. 

Sauce sim simma

finished product- I mixed the cheese in instead of just on top!

Bon Appetit!