Pasta Bolognese

I’m sitting at my desk, typing this post and it is absolutely pouring outside. The kind of rain that makes you want to stay under the covers, put on a Netflix show and binge watch the day away. Of course that is almost never an option as we all have work to go to, carpools to drive, groceries to buy or errands to run, so a day in bed is definitely wishful thinking. But what I can look forward to is a nice warm meal with a big glass of wine with my husband tonight. Is there anything more comforting or hearty than a big bowl of pasta bolognese? Whether you are cooking for a cozy night at home with your hubby or a dinner party for 10, this dish always gets two big thumbs up – especially from the gentlemen in the group.

The recipe starts by cooking pancetta in a dry pan over medium heat. If you put the pancetta in the pan while it is still cold and it gets to cook slowly as the pan heats up, it helps to render out the fat and crisp up the pancetta. Once the pancetta is fully cooked, remove it from the pan with a slotted spoon and place on a plate lined with a paper towel to absorb any excess oil. The fat left behind in the pan is what you will use to cook the onions and flavor the sauce.

Once you remove the pancetta, add in the diced onions and salt and pepper to taste. Stir the onions to make sure they are fully coated in the fat. Cook for about 5 minutes until the onions begin to soften and become translucent. At this point, add the garlic. Cook the garlic, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds. We don’t want to add the garlic too early as it easily burns.

Now time to add the beef. Add it to the pot and cook for 5-7 minutes until fully browned, breaking it up into pieces as it cooks. Next, add in the tomato paste and cook for another 30 seconds, stirring constantly. The heat of the pan will bring out the tomato flavor and give the sauce a punch.

Once the paste is stirred in, raise the heat on the pot to high. Pour in the wine to deglaze the pan. What is deglaze? This is the process where a liquid, usually wine, is used to scrape up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan left over from cooking the vegetables and meat. These bits might looked like burned leftovers that you want to remove from your sauce, but that would be wrong. These bits are gold!

After deglazing the pan, pour in the diced tomatoes, red pepper flakes, oregano, salt and pepper. Stir this all together and bring the sauce up to a simmer. Lower the heat and cover the pot to cook for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove the top and let simmer for an additional 5 minutes. Add in the parmesan, basil, and reserved pancetta and stir to combine.

While the sauce is simmering, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add in salt and the pasta. Cook the pasta to al dente, according to the box directions.

You can choose to serve the pasta one of two ways — you can serve it in individual portions by piling a good portion of spaghetti on each plate and topping it with the sauce, or you can you serve it more family style and pour all the pasta in a large bowl and top with the sauce, mixing before you serve. Either way, this dish is sure to warm you up and fill you up!