Cincinnati Chili

This recipe popped up in my Food Network magazine this month. Back when we had cable and I watched Food Network constantly I would see them talk about Cincinnati chili from time to time. It always looked delicious, and the idea of chili over pasta intrigued me. I hope I'm not betraying my Texas roots, where chili is heavy on the chili powder and you might be excommunicated for putting beans in it. I still love Texas chili, but I wanted to branch out and give this a try. I really liked it! The unique spices made it different, and it was great comfort food on a chilly (pun intended) night.

Cincinnati Chili
From Food Network Magazine

Note: I only made half.

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 sweet onions, finely chopped, plus more for topping
2 pounds ground beef chuck
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 15 oz. can tomato sauce
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup chili powder
2 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 pound spaghetti, cooked
Pinto beans and grated cheddar cheese, for topping (I threw the beans into the chili while it cooked)
Oyster crackers, for serving (optional)

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Add the ground beef to the pot, sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon each salt and black pepper and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and return the cooked onions to the pot; stir in the garlic.

Combine the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, vinegar, chili powder, paprika, cinnamon, cumin, allspice, cloves and cayenne in a bowl; add to the pot along with 1 cup water and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat and cook until the chili is slightly thickened, about 1 hour, 30 minutes.

Serve the chili over the spaghetti; top with chopped onion, pinto beans and grated cheddar and serve with oyster crackers on the side.