Cowboy Spaghetti

I love cookbooks and even though I have at least 30 of them, I found a Rachel Ray cookbook at a rummage the other day and couldn't resist buying it. It's my first Rachel Ray cookbook, though I have made some of her recipes before from her magazine and website. This pasta recipe was so easy to put together Sunday night when I was feeling kind of lazy. It was something different from regular spaghetti and didn't take much time at all. The little bit of bacon in it made it even extra special :)

Cowboy Spaghetti From Rachel Ray Express Lane Meals
1 pound spaghetti
1 T olive oil
3 slices smoky bacon, chopped
1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
3-4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tsp hot sauce
1 T Worcestershire sauce
1 14 oz can chopped or crushed fire-roasted tomatoes
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
8 oz shredded cheddar cheese
4 scallions, trimmed, chopped (I omitted since I didn't have these)

Cook spaghetti until al dente in a big pot of salted water. Drain.

Heat a deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and bacon. Brown and crisp the bacon for 5 minutes and remove with slotted spoon to paper-towel lined plate. Drain of some of the excess fat, leaving just enough to coat the bottom of the pan. Add the beef and crumble it as it browns. Add the onions and garlic and stir into the meat. Season the meat with salt and pepper, hot sauce and Worcestershire. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes more, then stir in the tomatoes and tomato sauce.

Add the hot spaghetti to the meat and sauce and combine. Adjust the seasonings and serve up the pasta in shallow bowls. Sprinkle shredded cheese and scallions over and serve.