Easy but Amazing Bolognese Sauce (Meat Sauce)

This is the sauce to make when you are short on time and need something full of flavor. Although I have typically kept a stock of store-bought spaghetti sauce on hand and add in herbs and other items to give it more flavor, I have been looking for recipes to make more things from scratch and be more in control of the ingredients in our food. When I saw this sauce recipe from Kristin Porter (Best-Ever Bolognese Sauce), I was impressed with how easy it looked and is similar to how I made some homemade sauces in the past. I have adapted this recipe and was so pleased with the flavors- totally worth a little extra effort over opening a jar and pouring it in a pot. 

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pound ground beef (or may use part or all Italian sausage)
• 1 large onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
• 1 cup chopped mushrooms
• 2 medium carrots, chopped (1 cup)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced (or a little more)
• 1 cup half and half or milk (not lowfat)
• 1 cup beef broth
• 1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste
• 2 tsp Italian seasoning, crushed in palm before adding
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 - 1 tsp salt (or adjusted to taste)
• 1 pound pasta of choice

Directions:

• Brown meat and vegetables together in large covered pot until meat is no longer pink and vegetables are tender. If meat is very fatty, you may drain off/sop up some of the extra fat.
• Add in the remaining ingredients (except the pasta) and cook uncovered on medium-high for about 10-15 minutes or until the sauce has thickened somewhat. If it is too bubbly, keep lid on partly so moisture can still escape. 
• Cook pasta according to directions and then drain, adding some of the sauce to mix with the pasta and flavor it prior to serving. Serve with parmesan/romano cheese and a little oregano sprinkled on top.