RGFE

Directions

Step 1

In a large sauté pan for which you have a lid, heat the butter and 1 tablespoon of the oil over a medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add the onion and ¼ teaspoon each of the salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for 8–10 minutes, or until the onion begins to turn a light golden brown.

Step 2

Reduce the heat to medium–low and stir in the garlic. Cook for 30 seconds, or until fragrant. Then add the beef to the pan, along with the paprika and the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt, and ½ teaspoon of black pepper.

Step 3

Use a wooden spoon to break up the meat and stir everything together. Cook for 3–5 minutes, or until nearly all the pink in the mince is gone. Add the milk and stir to mix. Cook for about 10 minutes until the milk has nearly all evaporated. Just like a bolognese, right?

Step 4

Add the tomato purée and stir again to mix. Now it’s umami time! Add the Worcestershire sauce and colatura or fish sauce, and mix together. Finally, add the tomatoes, stock, and bay leaf. Stir to combine, then cover the pan with a lid and increase the heat to high. Bring the mixture to the boil, then reduce the heat to the lowest possible setting and simmer your sauce, with the lid ajar now, until it reaches the consistency of your favourite bolognese – for me, this takes 1 hour and 20 minutes, as I prefer my sauce less saucy and more meaty. Adjust according to your preferences.

Step 5

When your sauce is nearing perfection, bring a large, well-salted pot of water to the boil. Meanwhile, mix your grated cheeses together in a medium bowl.

Step 6

Break your dried spaghetti in half before adding it to the boiling water. I know – this goes against everything you have ever been told, but it really does make eating the end product much easier. Cook your broken spaghetti until almost al dente, or for 1 minute less than instructed on the packet. Drain in a colander and rinse with cold water. Try to time your pasta cooking with your sauce; you don’t want to leave your cooked pasta in a colander or bowl to congeal while you wait for your sauce.

Step 7

When both your sauce and your pasta are ready, pour the remaining 4 tablespoons oil into a large saucepan or pot for which you have a lid. Use a pastry brush to get some of the oil up the sides of the pot as well.

Step 8

In a large bowl, combine two-thirds of the al dente spaghetti with two-thirds of the sauce. Mix, then set aside.

Step 9

Add the unsauced spaghetti to the bottom of your well-oiled pot, pressing it down with a wooden spoon to even it out into a thick layer. Now spoon the unmixed sauce on top of the pasta in the pot, again using your spoon to smooth and even it out into a nice layer. Sprinkle a third of the cheese across the top.

Step 10

Take half of the combined pasta and sauce, and place it into the pot – again, smoothing it into a nice even layer. Top with half the remaining cheese. Repeat with your final bits of sauced spaghetti and cheese, making sure that everything is smoothed out evenly. Unlike Iranian rice dishes that call for layering into a mound or pyramid, we want a flat top here.

Step 11

Place your pasta-filled pot over a medium heat. Cover and cook for 10 minutes.

Step 12

Wrap the lid of the pot in a clean tea towel, making sure to secure the towel on top of the pot so that it doesn’t catch fire if you are using a gas burner (I use a rubber band tied around the gathered corners of the towel). Place the towelled lid back on the pan. Reduce the heat to the lowest setting and cook for a further 45–50 minutes.

Step 13

When it’s ready fill your sink with 2.5cm (1in) water, then place your pot in the sink for 10–15 seconds – the cold water will help release the gazmakh-style pasta from the bottom. Find a platter that fits over the top of your pot, remove the lid, and place the platter on top of the pot. Then, using both hands, flip your pot of makaroni over in one quick, fluid motion.

Cheeseburger makaroni in paradise.