Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Heat a large pot over medium heat and add the ground beef. Cook, breaking it apart, until the beef is browned and cooked through. Break it into small pieces. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the ground beef to a bowl.

To the same pot, add the butter. Once it is melted, add in the shallots and garlic with a big pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until the onions are soft.

In the meantime, bring a separate pot of salted water to a boil to cook the bucatini.

Add the tomato paste into the onions. Cook, stirring often, for 3 to 5 minutes, so the tomato pasta can toast and get a deeper flavor.

Deglaze the pan with the vodka, streaming it in and stirring the entire time. Make sure you’re scraping the brown bits and flavor from the bottom. Stir in 1 cup of the reserved pasta water. Whisk in the remaining pasta water. Stir in the heavy cream and parmesan, stirring until the cheese melts. Taste and season the sauce with more salt and pepper if needed. It may need it!

Spread ¼ cup of the vodka sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Add the cooked bucatini to the dish, swirling it into piles or nests. You can make large ones or small ones!

Sprinkle the ground beef on next. Spoon the rest of the sauce over the pasta, coating all the noodles as you go.

Pull apart the mozzarella cheese and sprinkle it over the pasta.

Bake the pasta for 20 to 25 minutes, until the cheese is melty and the sauce on the edges is bubbly.

Top with parmesan cheese, fresh basil and crushed red pepper. Serve!