Weeknight Bolognese

Coming home from work tonight I was sitting in my car, so cold and uncomfortable in my suit. I could not think of something more comforting than warm pasta with this tasty meat sauce. Usually the problem with comfort food is it usually leaves you feeling stuffed and guilty. This pasta ended up being everything I hoped...Hot, Meaty, Comforting...but not too heavy.

Weeknight Bolognese

Recipe from How Easy is That by Ina Garten

2 tablespoons good olive oil, plus extra to cook pasta

1 pound lean ground sirloin

4 teaspoons minced garlic (4 cloves)

1 tablespoon dried oregano

¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1 ¼ cups dry red wine, divided

1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes, preferably San Marzano

2 tablespoons tomato paste

Kosher salt and black pepper

¾ pound dried pasta, such as orecchiette or small shells

¼ tsp ground nutmeg

¼ cup chopped fresh basil leaves, lightly packed

¼ cup heavy cream

½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large (12 inch) skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook, crumbling the meat until the meat is no longer pink and has started to brown. Add the garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes and cook for 1 more minute. Pour 1 cup of the wine into the skillet and stir to scrape up any browned bits. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, 1/2 tablespoon salt, and 1 ½ teaspoons pepper, stirring until combined. Bring to a boil, lower heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the directions on the box.

Finish the sauce while the pasta cooks. Add the nutmeg, basil, cream, and the remaining ¼ cup wine to the sauce and simmer for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally until thickened. When the pasta is cooked, drain and pour into a large serving bowl. Add the sauce and ½ cup Parmesan and toss well. Serve hot with Parmesan on the side.

Yield: 4 – 5 servings

Beautiful Sauce Simmering

Chopped Salad

Finished Dish!

Note: I omitted the last 1/4 cup of wine because...I just felt like it. I also unfortunately could not find orecchiette at Trader Joe's and was WAY to tired to go another market after work. Next time, I will use the orecchiette. The fusilli was great for the bolognese, but I think the other would have been prettier!