Suugo Suqaar

The Somali food in the new cookbook In Bibi's Kitchen is so fabulous, and this humble pasta sauce, an African Bolognese Sauce, is no exception.  It shares some things with the Italian version, in that it is ground meat that is cooked with onions and tomatoes for a long time to add flavor and tenderness to the sauce.  It has three full tablespoons of the Somali spice mix Xawaash, which gives the flavor depth and complexity that is worth savoring every bite of this meal.  Add in that a pound of the meat will cover 1.5 pounds of pasta, you also have an economical way to feed a crowd. this is amazing.

3 tbsp (45 mL) extra-virgin olive oil or canola oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 small green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and finely chopped
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1 lb (454 g) ground beef
3 tbsp (45 mL) Xawaash Spice Mix (recipe follows)
1 tsp (5 mL) kosher salt, plus more as needed
2 tbsp (30 mL) tomato paste
One 28-oz (825 mL) can diced tomatoes, with their juices
Cooked spaghetti (or whatever shape pasta you like) and coarsely chopped cilantro, for serving

Place the oil in a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the garlic, bell pepper and onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 8 minutes. Add the beef, Xawaash and salt and cook, stirring occasionally to break up the beef, until the meat is browned, about 15 minutes.

Add the tomato paste and diced tomatoes (and their juices). Fill the tomato can halfway with water and add it to the pot. Stir well to combine, being sure to scrape up any bits stuck to the bottom of the skillet. Increase the heat to high and bring the sauce to a boil, then decrease the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally as the sauce cooks, for 30 minutes. Season the sauce to taste with salt. Serve hot over cooked spaghetti, with the cilantro sprinkled on top. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a few days and rewarmed in a heavy pot set over low heat (stir while you heat).