Monday, February 3, 2014

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.






2 comments:

  1. "totally worth a little extra effort over opening a jar and pouring it in a pot."
     
    But "when you are short on time" that is exactly what we do. With the time required to prepare and cook the raw ingredients, I would open a jar and pour it in. OR.. Make ahead and use when chosen.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Amateur Cook, for your input- I totally agree. There are times when I don't even have the time to put these ingredients together and still use some jarred sauce. It is nice if one can make up a large batch of this and keep some in the freezer or canned to use in these such times.

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