Creamy Bolognese

Ingredients

• 6 tbsp olive oil divided
• 2 large carrots peeled & diced
• 2 stalks of celery diced
• 1 medium onion diced
• Salt & cracked black pepper to taste
• Crushed red pepper flakes to taste
• 6 garlic cloves chopped
• 6 oz can tomato paste
• 1.5 lbs ground beef
• 1 lb ground pork
• 1 cup cabernet
• 28 oz can whole peeled tomatoes
• 1 cup water divided
• 24 oz jar passata
• Pinch of sugar
• 2 oz hunk of pecorino romano
• 1 lb pappardelle or fettuccine nest or any pasta you want
• ¾ cup heavy cream optional
• 15 fresh basil leaves ripped up
• Grated pecorino romano for garnish

Instructions

1. In a dutch oven or pot, heat up about 4 tbsp of olive oil. Once it’s hot, add in carrots, celery, onion, salt & cracked black pepper (start with 2 – 3 tsp of each and then add it to taste after that), and crushed red pepper flakes (to taste, add more or less depending on how much spice you prefer). Saute that on a medium heat for about 15 minutes or until translucent and slightly golden. Then, add in the garlic and saute that for just a few more minutes.
2. Next, add in the tomato paste and saute it for about 3 – 5 minutes. Now, add in the ground beef and ground pork and break it up with a wooden spoon. Shake in more salt & cracked black pepper (layer the salt and cracked black pepper as you go after adding more ingredients). Also, drizzle in about 2 more tbsp of olive oil if needed when sautéing the meat (I ended up using 6 tbsp of olive oil total). Sauté the meat on a medium heat about 15 minutes or until cooked through and stir every 5 minutes.
3. Once the meat is browned, pour in the cabernet, and bring the pot to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, lower it to a simmer, and let that simmer for about 5 minutes. Next, pour in the can of whole peeled tomatoes and fill the empty can with a ½ cup of water, swish it around to get all the excess tomato out, and add that into the pot as well. Mash the whole peeled tomatoes up using a wooden spoon or a potato masher, add more salt & cracked black pepper, and give that a stir. Then, pour in the passata, fill the empty jar with a ½ cup of water, put the lid on, shake it up to get all the excess passata out, and add that to the pot as well. Now, add in a pinch of sugar, a hunk of pecorino romano, and more salt, cracked black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes if needed (to taste).
4. Give everything a stir and bring the pot to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, lower it to a simmer, and place the lid on the pot leaving it slightly ajar. Let that simmer for at least an hour, but you can leave it simmering for as long as you want (if you notice your sauce getting too thick as it’s simmering, just add in more water).
5. Once that’s almost been simmering for an hour, bring a pot of water to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, salt the water, and add in your pasta. Cook the pasta according to the package directions until al dente.
6. Once the sauce has been simmering for at least an hour, stir in the heavy cream and rip in the fresh basil. Stir that all together and let that simmer for about 5 – 10 minutes. Then it’s done!!
7. Serve the bolognese over the cooked pasta, toss it well, and garnish with some grated pecorino romano. Enjoy!

Notes

• It’s very important to layer the salt and pepper as you add each group of ingredients!!!

Nutrition

Calories: 835kcal, Carbohydrates: 65g, Protein: 35g, Fat: 49g, Saturated Fat: 17g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 24g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 145mg, Sodium: 1103mg, Potassium: 1995mg, Fiber: 8g, Sugar: 20g, Vitamin A: 4386IU, Vitamin C: 40mg, Calcium: 192mg, Iron: 8mg