Ina Garten deserves a dang medal for this one, because this bolognese sauce is outstanding under any conditions, but especially for being so quick and easy. This sauce is so rich and the depth of flavor is so satisfying without needing to be fussed over for hours. Good red wine and quality San Marzano’s are the key to success here, and ground sirloin, fresh basil and heavy cream make this SO hearty. Another beautiful thing about this sauce is that it tasted even better the next day, making it ideal for those times when you have guests or need to bring someone dinner – simply re-heat the sauce to a simmer while you cook the pasta. If anyone ever served us THIS bolognese for dinner, we’d be friends for life. FOR LIFE.
Tips (unsponsored): We love whole grain penne for this, but you can use any non-string noodle you love (the thick, meaty texture doesn’t pair well with the shape of a spaghetti or angle hair. Save those for your thinner, more delicate sauces). It used to be that you couldn’t get canned San Marzano tomatoes from just anywhere, but you can now. Even Walmart carries them, as well as a couple “double concentrated” tomato pastes in the tube that we love, such as the Amore brand. You can squeeze out what you need, screw the lid back on and return it to the fridge for another use. We love the basil plants at Trader Joe’s, as they are a great price and you can enjoy them until the exact moment you need fresh basil… and thereafter, if you’ve spared any. We don’t drink wine, but we know to look for a “cabernet” as a dry red.
Have your kids help you pluck basil leaves. Let them smell the fragrant nutmeg as you grate it – there’s nothing like it. As you prepare and enjoy this meal together with your loved ones, teach them some of the health benefits of some of the ingredients:
- Fresh basil helps your body to fight-off bad bacteria.
- Nutmeg is found in some toothpastes because it helps kill the bacteria that causes bad breath.
- Nutmeg is found in some toothpastes because it helps kill the bacteria that causes bad breath.
An obviously Italian dish, let’s learn a few things about Italy and it’s people:
- Italy has lots of earthquakes because of where it’s positioned on the earth’s tectonic plates.
- You would never find pineapple on a pizza in Italy.
- There are two states in Italy, called San Marino and the Vatican City.
From Weeknight Bolognese
- 2 tablespoons good olive oil, plus extra to cook the pasta
- 1 pound lean ground sirloin
- 4 teaspoons minced garlic (4 cloves)
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1¼ cups dry red wine, divided
- 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, preferably San Marzano
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- ¾ pound dried pasta, such as orecchiette or small shells
- ¼ teaspoon 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 sirloin and cook, crumbling the meat with a wooden spoon, for 5 to 7 minutes, until the meat has lost its pink color and has started to brown.
- Stir in 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 tablespoon salt and 1½ teaspoons pepper, stirring until combined. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil, add a tablespoon of salt, a splash of 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 ¼ cup 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 ½ cup Parmesan and toss well. Serve hot with Parmesan on the side.
- Make-Ahead Plan: Make the sauce, let it cool and refrigerate for up to 3 days. To serve, bring the sauce to a simmer while you cook the pasta, then toss the sauce with the pasta and Parmesan.
