Kaldereta is essentially a tomato-based meat braise — ground beef, tomato, a few boosters — which isn't that far from a bolognese when you think about it. The logical leap to pasta isn't a big one.
What makes kaldereta distinct from your regular spaghetti sauce are three ingredients: tomato paste, liver spread, and paprika. Tomato paste concentrates the tomato flavor. Liver spread adds a savory depth that you can't quite place but would notice if it were missing. Paprika rounds out the acidity with a mild smokiness. Don't skip any of them.
Processed cheese is a kaldereta staple — it's been in the dish long enough that it's part of the flavor memory. It also melts differently from other cheeses, folding into the sauce rather than separating. Use Eden or any similar brand.
Tube pasta works best here — penne, rigatoni, ziti. The sauce is thick enough to get inside the tubes, so every bite has sauce on the outside and inside. Flat pasta like spaghetti or fettuccine just won't hold it the same way.
Once you drain the pasta, don't rinse it. Rinsing washes off the starch that helps the sauce cling to it. Also save a cup of pasta water before draining — it loosens the sauce without watering it down. A quarter cup usually does it, but keep the rest on hand.
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