One Pot Cheeseburger Cavatappi with a 2017 Turtle Rock Westberg Red

I made this version of cheeseburger macaroni for dinner Thursday night. I like cavatappi better than elbow macaroni for this dish (and most others). The ridges seem to help the pasta grip the cheese sauce. I particularly like the De Cecco brand, because the bronze extrusion plates create a rougher surface that also helps hold sauce.

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 medium shallot, diced
• 4 green onions, sliced thinly, whites and greens separated
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 187 ml white wine (I buy those little four packs of Robert Mondavi Woodbridge to cook with)
• 3 cups beef stock
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 8 ounces cavatappi pasta
• 4 ounces cheddar cheese, grated (5 ounces if you really like it cheese, as I do)
• 4 ounces Velveeta, diced (ditto)
• salt and pepper to taste

I cooked it in my Culina 12-inch electric skillet, which Amazon sadly no longer sells. It is an excellent tool for dishes like this.

Heat the pan to 350°. (The Culina thermostat is reasonably accurate, but I like to check it with an infrared thermometer gun.)  Add just enough vegetable oil to very thinly coat the pan. Add the ground beef. Season the beef with salt and pepper. Cook until pieces begin browning. Remove the ground beef to a paper towel lined plate to drain. Wipe out the pan and reheat to 325°. Again, lightly coat the pan with oil. Sauté the shallot and white parts of the green onions until they begin to color (do NOT let them burn). Add garlic and tomato paste. Sauté for about 30 seconds.  Return meat to pan. Add wine, raise temperature to 350° and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer. Allow wine to reduce towards a glaze. Add stock and cream, stirring briskly. Add paprika. Taste and add salt and/or pepper as needed. Add cavatappi and cover.  Cook pasta about 9 minutes, stirring occasionally, checking so that you can turn the heat down to low just after the pasta becomes al dente. Add cheeses and stir until they melt. Mix a loosely packed ½ cup of the green parts of the green onions. Taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary. Serve. 

Do NOT get all foodie and snobby about the Velveeta. It lets great and adds that American cheese flavor you need for a real cheeseburger-like result. Trust me.

We drank a 2017 Turtle Rock Westberg Red. Big. Yummy. Raspberry. Cherry. Pepper. Earthy, meaty, savory especially on the finish.