Chili Macaroni

Ingredients

• Serves 4-6
• 1 cup elbow macaroni
• 1 teaspoon butter
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 lb. lean ground beef
• 1 (14.5 or 16.oz) can diced tomatoes
• 1 (15.5 oz) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 to 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• *Optional 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

1. To cook pasta, fill a medium size pot 2/3 of the way with hot tap water. Add 1 teaspoon salt to the water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and stir with a wooden spoon to be sure noodles don't stick to the bottom of the pot.
2. Always make sure there is lots of water in the pot when cooking any pasta so the pasta has room to roll around while it is cooking.
3. Turn the heat down, enough to maintain a boil and stir every so often to prevent noodles sticking. Do not cover the pot. After 8-10 minutes, take a piece of pasta out of the water, allow it to cool and do a test for doneness.
4. Bite into the pasta. If it is too hard to bite or you see a white center, it needs to cook a little longer. When it cooks all the way through it is ready and cooked el dente.
5. Put the pasta into a strainer. Shake out excess water and put the pot back onto a cool part of the stove.
6. Meanwhile melt the butter in the large skillet. Add the ground onion and cook for a few minutes until tender. Add the garlic and cook one minute longer.
7. Add the beef and cook, breaking up the beef as it cooks into a crumble texture. Cook until browned throughout.
8. Add the tomatoes, beans and stir in.
9. Add the paste and water and stir in blending the mixture together evenly. Add the seasonings. Do a taste test and adjust the seasonings to your taste. Cook over medium high heat for 5 minutes. Stir as necessary so it does not stick to the bottom of the pan.
10. Add the cooked macaroni. Turn the heat to low, put a lid on the pan and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
11. Serve in bowls.
12. If you are going to have shredded cheese, sprinkle on as desired.