Chili Mac

Ingredients

• 1 pound corkscrew shaped pasta with lines or elbows with lines
• 2 pounds ground sirloin
• 2 tablespoons (2 turns around the pan in a slow stream) extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 sweet onion, chopped
• 2 jalapeno peppers, seed and chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 3 tablespoons (1 1/2 palm fuls) dark chili powder
• 2 tablespoons (1 palm ful) cumin
• 2 tablespoons cayenne pepper sauce
• Coarse salt
• 1 cup beer or beef broth
• 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes in juice
• 1 (14-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• Chopped scallions, for garnish

Directions

In a large pot, boil pasta until al dente.

Meanwhile, in a big, deep pot, brown beef in oil over medium high heat. Add onions, peppers, and garlic. Season meat mixture with chili powder, cumin, cayenne, and salt. Cook together 5 minutes, stir in beer or broth, and reduce liquid by half, 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and simmer for 10 minutes.

Drain pasta. Add hot pasta to chili pot and stir to coat pasta evenly. Remove from heat and garnish big bowlfuls of chili mac with chopped scallions.