"OUR FAVORITE BOLOGNESE-USE THIS ONE

By RoketJSquerl

Our favorite, easy bolognese that feeds a crowd. Use it on fresh pasta, in lasagna, baked with cheddar or piled in to a buttery bun.

Ingredients

• Prep time: 15 mins
• Cook time: 5 hours
• Total time: 5 hours 15 mins
• Serves: 8-10
• INGREDIENTS
• 1.25 lbs lean ground beef
• 1 medium onion, minced
• 2 stalks celery, minced
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped fine
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1.5 TBSP dried basil
• 4 oz tomato paste (I used Italian herb)
• 4 oz red wine (I usually use Apothic Red)
• 1 28oz can crushed tomatoes
• 1 14oz can crushed tomatoes
• 1/2-1 C water
• 1 beef bouillon cube
• 1 tbsp sugar, optional
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce, optional
• 1/2 C half n half
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 lb your favorite noodles (I used spaghettini)
• parm, asiago, whatever cheese you fancy, to serve

Details

Servings 8
Preparation time 15mins
Cooking time 315mins
Adapted from thepretendbaker.com

Preparation

Step 1

INSTRUCTIONS
Heat a deep, wide skillet or dutch oven over high heat. Once hot, add the ground beef to the skillet (there will be enough fat in the beef if you don't make the mistake of using extra lean. Please don't use extra lean). Brown the beef, breaking it up as you go, seasoning with a few pinches of salt.
Once the beef is mostly cooked, remove beef to a paper towel lined plate and drain off excess fat, leaving a little in the pan.
Add the onion, celery and carrot along with another good pinch of salt and the dried basil. Reduce heat to medium high and cook, stirring frequently for 5-7 minutes.
Add the garlic and tomato paste, and continue cooking, stirring constantly for 2 minutes. Do not allow the garlic to burn.
Return the beef to the skillet and pour in the wine. Scrape any bits from the bottom of the pan and bring to a boil. Allow the wine to simmer until liquid has evaporated, about 3 minutes.
Add the crushed tomatoes, water, beef cube, sugar and worcestershire sauce, if using. bring to a simmer then reduce heat to low and cover loosely with a lid. Allow to simmer, stirring every once and a while, for 2-5 hours. However long you have time for but at least 2 hours. If the sauce is getting too thick, add some water. If it's too thin, remove the lid and allow to cook down.
Add the cream and season with salt/sugar to taste.
When ready to eat, cook pasta according to package directions, save a mug of pasta cooking water and toss sauce, pasta and cooking water in the pot until desired consistency is reached.
Plate and serve with hella cheese and extra wine.