Pasta Russian Navy Style

Directions

1. Put beef in a cooking pot and add enough water to cover it. You will not need a lot of broth for this recipe.
2. Add the bay leaves, peppercorns, and about a teaspoon of salt and simmer on low heat for 1 – 1 ½ hours.
3. Peel and finely chop the onion.
4. Clean the bell pepper and chop it in small pieces.
5. Cut the scallions in small pieces.
6. Sautee the onion in olive oil until it is medium brown. Remove from skillet and set aside.
7. Add oil to the skillet if necessary and sauté the pepper until it is soft.
8. Very briefly and lightly sauté the scallion.
9. After the beef is ready, let it cool to touch.
10. Grind the beef in a meat grinder. Set aside.
11. Break the spaghetti into 2-3 pieces and cook them according to package instructions. Keep in mind the cooked pasta should be softer than al dente, so add at least a couple extra minutes of cooking time. Spaghetti should not become mushy, however.
12. Spaghetti should be cooked only after all the other ingredients are ready for mixing. This dish is served warm, so as soon as pasta is ready, drain it, and immediately proceed to the final step.
13. In a large pot or bowl, toss cooked spaghetti, ground beef, and sautéed vegetables until everything is mixed evenly.
14. The ground beef will be too dry, so you will need to add about half a cup of beef broth to the mix, if not more.
15. Discard the bay leaves and peppercorns.
16. Add the broth gradually to avoid turning this dish into a noodle soup.
17. This is also a good time to adjust the salt level. Dissolve a teaspoon of salt in half a cup of beef broth and add, little by little, while thoroughly stirring and frequently tasting, until you are happy with the results.
18. If the dish becomes too cool with all the mixing and adjusting, microwave it briefly before serving.
19. Enjoy!