Pasta Bolognese

By minicoopercraig

Call it meat sauce, call it ragu, call it whatever you want, but there's no denying that a well-made pasta sauce is one of life's finest pleasures. The Italians traditionally make Bolognese with pork, veal and beef-a rich combonation that makes for a delicious but calorie-laden bowl. This Bolognese follows the same technique used for an authentic, velvety sauce but subs in turkey for veal and lean sirloin for fattier beef. You can serve this over dried spaghetti or fettuccine, but fresh pasta really is best.

Ingredients

• 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium carrot, diced
• 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 6 oz ground turkey
• 6 oz ground pork
• 6 oz ground sirloin
• 1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes (I like Muir Glen's Fire Roasted)
• 2 Tbsp tomato paste
• 1 cup reduced-sodium chicken or beef broth
• 1 cup milk
• 2 bay leaves
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 1 package fresh or 1 lb dried fettuccine
• Parmesan, grated

Preparation

Step 1

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the galric, carrot, celery and onion and saute until the vegetables are cook through, about 5 minutes. Add the turkey, pork and ground sirloin and stir with a wooden spoon until the meat is no longer pink, breaking it up as it cooks.
Drain any accumulated fat from the bottom of the pan and add the tomatoes, tomato paste, broth, milk and bay leaves. Turn the heat down and simmer for at least 30 minutes (and up to 2 hours), until the sauce has thickened. Season to taste with salt and black pepper and keep warm.
Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted, boiling water according to the package instructions. Drain the pasta and toss with hot sauce. Serve sprinkled with Parmesan.