Ingredients

• 1/2 large white onion
• 1 large (2 medium) carrot
• 3 stalks celery
• 4 oz bacon (you could also substitute pancetta)
• 7-8 cloves garlic
• 3 lbs ground beef (or any other red meat, lamb is particularly good)
• 1 1/2 tsp salt, plus more to taste
• 2 cups broth (beef, chicken, pork, up to you)
• 1 16-oz can/box pureed pumpkin
• 1 large bunch fresh basil (2 – 2.5 oz)
• 5-6 oz fresh spinach
• sliced olives (drained weight 12 oz)
• 10 oz mushrooms

Directions

1. Finely dice the onion, carrot, celery, and bacon. Ideally, pieces should be 1/8″ cubes or smaller, but a bit larger won’t matter much if you’re feeling impatient.

2. Add diced bacon to a large saucepan, and turn on heat to medium-high. Once bacon starts to release some fat into the pan, add the onion, celery and carrot. Saute together for 10 minutes, until onion is starting to caramelize. Add the garlic and stir to combine.

3. Add the ground beef to the pan, one pound at a time with 1/2 teaspoon of salt added with each pound of ground beef. Break up the beef with a spoon or spatula, and one it’s browned, add the next pound.

4. Once all the beef he beef is browned, add the broth and pumpkin and reduce the heat to low. Simmer uncovered for 1-2 hours, stirring occasionally. If it’s getting dry and starting to stick to the bottom, reduce the heat even further and add a little extra broth or water. Really, the longer the better for this step. If you want to simmer all day, go ahead.

5. Chop the mushrooms into 1/4″ pieces and add them to the pot. Add the olives too and stir to incorporate. Simmer for 10 more minutes until the mushrooms are cooked.

6. Chop the spinach and basil. Add to the pot, stir to incorporate, and cook for 5 more minutes. Taste and add salt if needed.

7. Enjoy!

8. Spanish Rice Variation: Mix 1 part picadillo with 1 part steamed white rice (if you include that in your diet) or cooked cauliflower rice just prior to serving to make Spanish rice. This a great way to stretch this dish even further!

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