Baked Bucatini

Ingredients:
3 tbsp butter
1 Vidalia onion, finely chopped
3 tbsp olive oil
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 pound of ground beef
2 tbsp Italian seasoning
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup chopped basil
3/4 pound of fresh mozzarella
1 (4oz) bag of Italian cheese blend, shredded
1 Tbsp sugar
2 (29oz) cans of tomato sauce
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp red pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 box of bucatini pasta

Directions:
1. Heat butter and olive oil in a Dutch oven. Add the onions and Italian seasoning with a little salt and pepper. Sweat for about 10 minutes.
2. Add in the garlic. Cook for another 2 minutes
3. Add the ground beef, and more salt and pepper, as well as garlic powder, paprika, oregano, and red pepper. Add the sugar.
4. Brown for about 10 minutes, breaking up and tossing around
5. Add the sauce and stir. Simmer for at least 10 minutes or up to an hour.
6. Boil pasta according to directions for all dente pasta.
7. Add one ladle of meat sauce on the bottom of a 9/13 pan. Add 1/2 the pasta and ladle more sAuce on.  Top with ricotta and mozzarella chunks. Add some basil and parsley.
8. Do a second layer of pasta and then cheese and then sauce.
9. Top with the shredded cheese
10. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
11. Top with extra fresh basil and parsley....and maybe even some gated parmesan or red pepper flakes.

Note: you will use all of the pasta and cheese but you may not use all of the sauce. If you have some leftover, freeze it for next time.

Wine Selection for today was also from Italy
Il Papavero
Primitivo
2012
Puglia, Italy