Fairly recently, before the unseasonably hot weather assaulted my town, I pulled out my recipe book, and made a few of my favourite dishes that I had not made for quite some time. I shall share them with you.
This first one, bolognese, is an Italian sauce, served over pasta. While it is common where I live to serve bolognese with spaghetti, and other various types of pasta, it is traditional, and more practical, to serve it with egg noodles, which hold up much better under this thick, hearty sauce.
- 1 package ground beef (half of it can be exchanged with ground Italian sausage, if desired)
- 1 package diced pancetta (a cup of diced ham may be substituted)
- 3-4 carrots
- 3-4 celery stalks
- 1 onion
- 5 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 jar Italian pasta sauce
- 1 cup whole milk, or half-and-half (less, if desired)
- 1/2 cup still, dry white wine
- salt and pepper to taste
Cook the pancetta in a saucepan, or large skillet, and then transfer into a slow-cooker (crock-pot). Finely chop the soffritto of vegetables, and add it to the pan. Brown the ground beef slightly, and add it and the soffritto to the slow-cooker. Add the wine, tomato paste, and sauce, adding broth, or water if the consistency is not as you desire it. Let simmer until vegetables are soft. (Meanwhile, cook the pasta until al dente (firm to the bite). Add the milk, salt and pepper to the sauce. Drain the pasta, and toss it with the sauce, or ladle the sauce over individual portions (I personally prefer the former method).
On a side note, I often omit the slow-cooker when making this, and simply keep to the large skillet. It cooks much faster, and, in my opinion, comes out just as well.
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