Thick meat sauce for pasta

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 carrot, finely chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 x 800g cans of whole peeled tomatoes, broken up by hand
• 1.5 tsp sugar
• 220 rubles of ground beef
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 0.5 cup freshly grated Parmesan + extra for serving
• For serving: hot pasta

Preparation:

1. In a medium Dutch oven or saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the red pepper flakes and stir for 15 seconds. Add the onion and carrot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is deep golden, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until softened, about 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and cook until brick-red, about 1 minute. Add the crushed tomatoes with their juices, sugar, 1 tablespoon of salt, and a few freshly ground black pepper. Bring to a simmer.
2. Cover the pan with a lid and continue to simmer the sauce for 15 minutes, adjusting the heat as needed to maintain a gentle simmer.
3. Meanwhile, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef, oregano, rosemary, and thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, breaking up the ground beef with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer the beef to the sauce and continue to simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and the flavors are combined, about 1 hour.
4. Add a little water if the sauce becomes too thick. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve over hot pasta, sprinkled with more Parmesan cheese.