Ground Beef Pasta

Heat the olive oil over high heat in a large heavy-based pot, then add the garlic and onion and cook for 1 1/2 minutes. The onion should begin to soften and the garlic should smell fragrant without taking on dark color.
Add the ground beef and break it into small crumbles as it cooks, then stir in the Italian herbs for 30 seconds. Cook until the meat has lost all red color and browned bits are forming across the pot base.
Stir in the tomato paste and cook it for 1 minute before adding the crushed tomatoes, chicken stock/broth, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. The paste should turn dark rust-red and the mixture should smell savory rather than sharply canned.
Add the dry pasta and bring the liquid to a gentle simmer, then cook for 15 minutes. Stir every couple of minutes at first, then scrape the bottom more often near the end as the sauce thickens and the pasta becomes nearly tender.
Lower the heat, stir in the heavy cream, and let the pasta simmer for 1 to 2 minutes. The sauce should turn smooth and glossy while still looking looser than the finished dish will be.
Take the pot off the heat, stir thoroughly, and ladle the pasta into bowls with Parmesan cheese and parsley, optional. Leave a little sauce around the noodles because they will absorb more liquid as they settle.