Rigatoni with Hearty Beef Ragu

Halve onion through the root axis and remove the peel. Slice parallel to the root tip to yield thin arcs of onion.

Peel the carrots and remove the tips. Grate on the medium side of your box grater (you know... the cheese setting).

Peel garlic cloves and chop or grate to a fine paste.

Slice the beef into bite-sized chunks and season with salt and black pepper.

Heat some oil in a heavy skillet over high heat.

Add the sliced onion.

Add the grated carrot.

Stir in a little salt and some black pepper.

Cook, stirring frequently, until onions are tender and lightly browned.

Stir in the crushed garlic.

Stir in the tomato paste.

Place the chunks of beef on top of the onions and reduce the heat to medium.

Add the bay leaf.

Pour in just enough water to submerge the beef chunks to around the halfway point.

Bring the pot to a gentle simmer, then cover and cook until beef is tender. This should take about 2-3 hours.

Cook the rigatoni in salted water at a rapid boil. Cook until the pasta is just under your desired doneness, or it will get soggy when you finish cooking in the sauce.

Add the cooked rigatoni to the stewed beef chunks. Stir to mix and simmer until pasta is cooked as desired.