Step 1

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil to cook the pasta.

Step 2

Heat the oil in a large skillet or a dutch oven and add the ground beef. Season with salt and pepper. Cook on high heat for 3-5 minutes until the meat is browned. Set the meat aside.

Step 3

Coarsely chop the onion, carrots and celery. Place them in a food processor and pulse several times until the vegetables are uniformly chopped into very small pieces. Press the garlic through a garlic press. (Or you can finely mince the onion and celery and grate the carrots on the small holes of a box grater.)

Step 4

Add the vegetables to the same skillet you used to cook the ground beef, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 8-10 minutes, until the vegetables are softened and starting to turn golden. (Add a little water to the skillet if the vegetables start to stick before cooking through all the way.)

Step 5

Add the crushed tomatoes and tomato paste, if using. Season once again with salt and pepper and dry herbs. Add the browned meat. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook, covered, for about 10-15 minutes. Add the cream, if using, and the fresh herbs.

Step 6

Meanwhile,cook the pasta according to your liking. Drain the pasta, reserving about a cup of pasta water.

Step 7

Mix the sauce with the pasta and add some Parmesan cheese. Add some of the reserved pasta water, if you need to loosen it up a bit. You may want to use more or less pasta, depending on how much sauce you like with your pasta.

Step 8

Garnish the pasta with more of the Parmesan cheese.