This little recipe isn’t complicated, doesn’t pretend to be something else. It has always been there in times when my grandmother knew she had to feed us cousins something we would actually eat after school. Using what she had in her pantry she created this easy meat sauce, but her hand was heavy and she often overseasoned. The large amount of pepper is what we as kids came to love and crave, even though we are now spread out around the world and it’s 20 years later. I’ve had many requests for the recipe, but struggled to share something I knew that Italian nonna’s might critcize for not being authentic. It is just a basic recipe that my South African grandma made from her heart, so please adjust whatever you like to your taste. The cloves aren’t really optional because it gives this dish that signature South African flavor (clove, mace, cinnamon and nutmeg are hugely popular ingredients in savory meat dishes!), just be sure to scoop it out before serving :) I can’t tell you how many times she forgot, and had one of us very shocked after biting into one. If you prefer some spice, add a teaspoon of red pepper flakes and some hot smoked paprika. If you follow a vegetarian diet, I recommend trying plant based protein like Beyond products or soy mince. Burrata is entirely optional, you could either leave it out or use a nice shaving of Parmesan cheese.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, finely minced
1/4 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 lb lean ground beef
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp fresh black pepper
1 tbsp dried herbs (oregano, basil, rosemary)
1 tbsp tomato paste
4 cups crushed tomatoes (2 x 14.5 Oz cans OR 1 28 Oz)
1 tbsp sugar
2-3 whole cloves (the spice)
2 cups water or stock of your choice

1 package cooked pasta of your choice, plus 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water
To serve: Fresh parsley, burrata, cracked black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil

Guidelines:

Sauté onions, green pepper and garlic using the olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot until the onions are translucent (10 minutes). Add ground beef and brown, 5 minutes on medium heat. Add the salt, pepper, herbs and tomato paste. Continue to cook while stirring, 10 minutes.

Add the crushed tomatoes, cloves, sugar and water or stock - Turn heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour, stirring halfway through. The sauce should reduce somewhat and become darker in color. Remove cloves.

Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and mix through very gently with the heat on the lowest setting. My grandmother would add some of the pasta water to thin it out just a bit, then allow it to cook for 5 minutes more and add an optional tbsp of butter to make the sauce glisten. The best part for us was that the pasta was tender having soaked up all the sauce.

Plate and top with pieces of burrata, fresh pepper, olive oil and fresh parsley.

Serves 4-6