Ground Beef Pasta

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• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 each large yellow onion (cut into 1/2-inch dice)
• 2 each medium carrots (scrubbed and cut into 1/4-inch dice)
• 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 6 each garlic cloves (minced, about 2 tablespoons)
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 pound lean ground beef (I used 93% lean)
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 14 ounce reduced sodium beef broth
• 14 ounce tomato sauce
• 8 ounces whole wheat elbow (mini shells, or similar short pasta)
• 2 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese (Neufchatel, at room temperature, cut into a few pieces)
• ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1. Heat a Dutch oven or similar large, sturdy pot over medium-low heat. Add the oil onion, carrot, salt, and pepper. Let cook until the onion turns brown and soft, about 10 minutes (don't shortcut this step; it builds a lot of flavor).
2. Add the garlic, Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes. Let cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
3. Increase heat to medium-high and add the ground beef. With a wooden spoon, sturdy spatula, or better yet a meat chopper, break the meat into small pieces. Continue to brown, stirring periodically, until the meat is browned and cooked through, about 6 minutes.
4. Add the tomato paste. Cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes.
5. Pour in the beef broth. Scrape up any browned bits stuck to the pan.
6. Add the tomato sauce. Fill up the empty sauce can halfway with water then pour it into the pot. Stir to combine. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil.
7. Once the liquid is at a strong boil (not just simmering at the edges), stir in the pasta. Cook until al dente according to package instructions (I find I need to add a few more minutes for the right texture in this recipe), stirring often and scraping a spoon along the bottom of the pan to keep it from sticking. If at any point the pasta becomes too dry, add more water as needed.
8. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the cream cheese. Stir until it's melted and smoothly combined. Stir in the parmesan and half the parsley. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired. Enjoy hot, with additional parsley and Parmesan on top.