Makaroni Tahdig Recipe (with Video)

1. Finely dice a medium onion and 2 Roma tomatoes, grate 3 garlic cloves.
2. Over medium high heat, sweat onion with a pinch of salt in some olive oil. Once translucent, add ground beef and cook until beef and onion begins to caramelize.
3. Add a generous pinch of salt along with turmeric, cumin, oregano, chili powder, tomato paste, and tomatoes. Stir to incorporate and cook for a few more minutes.
4. Pour in 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, cover with a lid, and simmer on low for at least 20 min.
5. In the meantime, cook spaghetti for 3 minutes less than specified on the box for al-dente. Before straining, reserve 1/2 c of starchy pasta water.
6. Once sauce is finished simmering, mix together with reserved pasta water and spaghetti.
7. To a non-stick pot, add 1/2 c of oil. Lay in pasta, but for the bottom layer, try to add as little of the meat sauce as possible. Some people also sometimes layer the bottom with thinly sliced potatoes, but this is optional. When finished laying in pasta, cook over high heat for 3 minutes, cover with a paper towel and lid, then cook over low for another 40 minutes.