Beef & Capsicum Spaghetti

I think this is one of the first food I started cooking. When I was younger, and not knowing much about pasta, I thought that spaghetti is normally cooked with tomato sauce and beef. Now, pasta is a must-have in my kitchen. No matter what size and shape. I think that it is just perfect to cook a quick and simple meal, especially during days when I've had too much of Malaysian food.

Sometimes I buy ready made pasta sauces, from Leggo, Barilla, Dolmio, etc... And sometimes, I whip up my own recipes. I happened to have a can of chopped tomatoes which has been lying in the kitchen shelf for months... and my mum suddenly asked me "This can is starting to get rusty, are you going to ever cook the tomatoes?" Whoops. I totally forgot about that can of tomatoes. Not to worry, expiry is far still!

From the leftover 1/2 a pack of spaghetti, I made this simple beef and capsicum pasta for my family over lunch last Tuesday. Nothing specific, ust using ingredients which we already have in the kitchen. This is a light sauce recipe with a tinge of spiciness. Perfect for those who may find the usual pasta sauce too thick/sour.

boiled pasta, according to instructions.
1 can chopped tomatoes
1 teaspoon Italian herbs
cup of chopped red and green capsicum
cup of minced beef
1/3 carrot, grated
1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese
1/2 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
3-5 small green chilis, finely chopped
salt & pepper to taste

To cook pasta sauce, start with frying the chopped onions and garlic. Sprinkle the Italian herbs, then beef. Add chilis and then the can of tomatoes. Throw in grated carrot, add a dash of salt and pepper and stir. Add the parmesan cheese and finally chopped capsicums.

Spoon the sauce over pasta and serve :-)