Bourbon-Infused Cowboy Spaghetti Recipe
Prep Time:
15 minutes
Cook Time:
35 minutes
Servings:
4 Servings
Ingredients
  • 1 pound dried spaghetti
  • 4 ounces thick-cut bacon, diced
  • 2 tablespoons chile maple syrup
  • 1 pound ground chuck (80/20)
  • 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • ½ cup bourbon
  • 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
  • ½ cup beef stock
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 scallions, thinly sliced, whites and greens separated
  • 4 ounces sharp white cheddar, grated
  • 2 tablespoons crispy fried shallots
Directions
  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until al dente, about 2 minutes less than package directions. Reserve 1 cup pasta water before draining.
  2. While the water heats, cook the bacon in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp, about 5 minutes.
  3. Remove with a slotted spoon and stir to coat with maple syrup.
  4. Add the ground chuck to the rendered fat and cook, breaking it up, until browned, about 6 minutes. Drain the excess fat, leaving about 1 tablespoon in the pan.
  5. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 4 minutes.
  6. Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 1 minute until the paste darkens slightly.
  7. Add the bourbon and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Simmer for 1 minute to cook off the alcohol.
  8. Add the crushed tomatoes, beef stock, Worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika, and red pepper flakes. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened. Season with salt and pepper.
  9. Melt the butter with olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the scallion whites and cook until charred at the edges, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.
  10. Toss the drained pasta directly into the sauce along with the scallion butter (minus the scallions). Add the pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce to coat the noodles.
  11. Plate the pasta, top it with grated cheddar, crispy bacon, fried shallots, and scallion greens, and serve.