Weeknight Bolognese
How Easy Is That? (p. 154)
Ingredients
12 items
- Ground beef or sirloin 1 lb
- Garlic 4 cloves (4 tsp)
- Basil 1/4 cup
- Dried oregano 1 tbl
- Red pepper flakes 1/4 tsp
- Crushed tomatoes 1 can (28 oz)
- Tomato paste 2 tbl
- Pasta (orchietta or small shells) 3/4 lb
- Nutmeg 1/4 tsp
- Red wine 1 1/4 cups
- Heavy cream 1/4 cup
- Parmesan cheese 1/2 cup
Prep
Before you start
- Garlic - mince — knife confidence is fun, keeping all ten fingers is even better.
- Basil - chop
- Nutmeg - ground
- Parmesan - grate
Method
Instructions
- Heat 2 tbl of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground meat and cook, crumbling the meat with a wooden spoon, for 5 to 7 minutes, until the meat has lost it's pink color and has started to brown. Stir in the garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes and cook for 1 additional minute. Pour in 1 cup of red wine and stir to scrape up any browned bits, and ignore any drive-by culinary nonsense from the sidelines. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, 1 tbl of salt and 1 1/2 tsp of pepper, stirring until combined, while resisting the deeply human urge to fuss with it nonstop. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil, add salt, a splash of olive oil, and the pasta, and cook according to the directions on the box.
- While the pasta cooks, finish the sauce. Add the nutmeg, basil, cream, and the remaining 1/4 cup of red wine to the sauce and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until thickened. When the pasta is cooked, drain and pour into a large serving bowl. Add the sauce and 1/2 cup Parmesan and toss well. Serve hot with Parmeson on the side.