RACHAEL RAY GROUND BEEF RECIPES

Steps:

• Heat a large pot of water to boil for pasta, salt water, add pasta and cook 5 minutes
• Cold shock and drain pasta
• Heat a deep skillet over medium-high heat with oil, 2 turns of the pan, add onion, celery and green pepper, season with salt and pepper, soften a few minutes, add garlic and stir a minute more
• Add beef and crumble, let the meat lose its pink color, then add Worcestershire, oregano and parsley or basil
• Add tomatoes and simmer
• Adjust seasoning for salt and pepper
• Switch broiler on with rack at center oven
• In a sauce pot or second skillet, melt butter over medium to medium-high heat, whisk in flour to combine, whisk in milk, season with cayenne, nutmeg and salt, and thicken to coat spoon
• Stir in cheddar cheese to melt, remove from heat
• Fill casserole with macaroni mixed with meat and sauce, top the casserole evenly with cheese sauce, help it settle evenly with spoon or spatula, then top with Parmesan
• Brown casserole to golden, 3-4 minutes, serve

Steps:

• In a large Dutch oven, heat the oil, 2 turns of the pan, over medium-high heat
• Add the sausage, breaking it up into chunks, then add the beef and cook, breaking up both meats into crumbles as they brown
• Add the garlic, onion, marjoram and red pepper flakes (if using) and season with salt and black pepper
• Cook to soften the onions, 8-10 minutes
• Add the stock and passata
• Hand-crush the canned tomatoes as you add them to the pan, then add the juices from the cans
• Bring to a bubble, reduce the heat to a low simmer
• Add the basil and simmer for 30 minutes
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta
• Salt the water and cook the pasta about 3 minutes shy of al dente
• Before draining, ladle out about 1/2 cup of the starchy pasta cooking water before draining the pasta
• Preheat the oven to 375°F
• In a large bowl, combine the ricotta and 1/2 cup of the Parm
• Stir in the egg, the reserved starchy water, the drained pasta and half the sauce
• Transfer the pasta to a large baking dish (at least 9x13 inches) and top with the remaining sauce
• Cover the pasta and sauce evenly with the grated mozzarella and the remaining 1/2 cup Parm
• Top with the parsley and bake until browned and bubbling on top and hot through, about 30 minutes