Rigatoni With Spicy Meat and Mushroom Sauce

Cook's Illustrated

• Ready In: 55 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 2  tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 10  ounces white button mushrooms, cleaned and thinly sliced
• 2  garlic cloves, minced
• 1⁄2 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes (to taste)
• 1⁄4 cup  minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1⁄2 lb  ground chuck
•  salt
• 1 (28 ounce) can  whole tomatoes with juice, finely chopped with juice reserved
• 1  lb rigatoni pasta
•  grated parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat; add in mushrooms; saute until they begin to give off their juices, about 5 minutes.
2. Add in garlic, red pepper flakes, and parsley; cook until fragrant, 1-2 minutes.
3. Add in the ground chuck and ½ teaspoon salt; crumble the meat with the edge of a wooden spoon to break it apart into tiny pieces.
4. Cook, continuing to crumble the meat, just until it loses its raw color but has not yet browned, about 3 minutes.
5. Add in the tomatoes and their juice; bring to a simmer; simmer gently until the sauce begins to thicken, about 20 minutes.
6. Adjust seasonings with extra salt to taste.
7. Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil; add 1 tablespoon salt and pasta; cook until al dente.
8. Reserve ¼ cup cooking liquid; drain the pasta and return it to the cooking pot.
9. Mix in the sauce and the reserved cooking liquid if necessary.
10. Serve immediately with cheese passed around at the table.