Bolognese is a meat sauce from Northern Italy that takes hours to simmer.
This version simplifies the steps and shortens the cooking time, but the sauce is still flavorful and delicious. Totally kid friendly.
Serves: 6
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
• 1 onion
• 1 carrot, peeled
• 1 celery stalk
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 pound ground beef (or turkey)
• 1/2 cup beef broth
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 can crushed tomatoes (28 ounces)
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 pound spaghetti or linguini
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1. Use a food processor to chop the onion, carrot, celery and garlic super fine. Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and add the olive oil, butter and veggies. Sauté until soft, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the ground beef and stir to break up. Once the meat is no longer pink, add the broth and milk and let bubble away.
3. While the meat and veggies cook, fill a big pasta pot with water and a dash of salt and bring to a boil.
4. When the wine and broth have reduced, add the tomatoes and oregano. Let the sauce simmer while you cook the pasta.
5. Reserve a little pasta cooking water when you drain the pasta. Add it to the sauce if it’s looking too thick. Serve topped with cheese.
Cook’s note: You can slip more vegetables into this sauce without your kids noticing. Grate a zucchini or add another carrot. This is also an easy recipe to double. The sauce freezes well.
Complete the meal: Serve with a green salad and not-too-heavy red wine. Penfolds Koonunga Hill Shiraz Cabernet is great with this meal. It’s widely available and under $10.
Shopping List
Meat
1 lb. ground beef or turkey
Dairy
Butter
Milk
Parmesan Cheese
Produce
1 carrot
1 celery stalk
1 garlic head
1 onion
Other Items
1 can or resealable carton beef broth
1 lb. spaghetti or linguini
1 can crushed tomatoes (28 ounces)
Olive oil
Oregano (dried)
