Ina's weeknight bolognese

As the weather turns cooler, I feel an even bigger urge than usual to turn on the stove/oven, cook heartier meals, and then gather around the table with family and friends to enjoy it leisurely.  This past weekend, we had a lovely family meal here with my sister and her family.  I deemed it "pasta night" because I like to pick a loose theme for our dinner gatherings.  It's fun and makes the menu-planning flow a little easier. 

Pasta always hits the spot and feeds everyone's hunger properly.  I decided on a simple menu of Italian cold cuts, pasta bolognese, and garlic bread for dinner. Yes, there was dessert but I'll save that for another day.

As I was planning this dinner, I decided it was a great opportunity for me to sing the praises of this bolognese recipe that I've been making in the last couple of years.  It's Ina Garten's "weeknight" bolognese.  It's aptly named because while we enjoyed it over the weekend, it is easy enough to cook on a weeknight because it's ready to eat in just about half an hour!  And the result...is magically delicious!  This bolognese is meaty and robust, packed with flavor from red wine, crushed tomatoes, oregano, and a hint of nutmeg.

I have Marie at little kitchie to thank for discovering this recipe because she posted about it a couple of years back on her site.  Sadly (for me), Marie hasn't been blogging for a while now and I sorely miss her but when I make this recipe, I think of her.  

And thank you Ina Garten because this bolognese rocks!  It's straight-up delicious, and all the more so when you consider just how fast and easy it is to make!  It's great for entertaining because it's hearty comfort food that resonates with almost everyone, and you can also make it ahead.  In this case, I made the sauce the day before and simply heated it up before tossing it with pappardelle while the garlic bread baked in the oven.  I often make a pot of this sauce, divide it up, and freeze a couple of portions for another time.  It is just fabulous and always a hit with my family.

If a meaty bolognese appeals to you and you haven't tried this weeknight bolognese recipe from Ina, I highly recommend it.  

When I think of bolognese, I think of a meat sauce simmering away all Sunday and slow-cooking away on the stove so this quick weeknight bolognese is something of a magical trick in my mind.

Cooking time from beginning to end is literally about 30 minutes.  It starts with lean ground sirloin and somehow, the rest of the ingredients - the garlic, oregano, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, plenty of red wine, and nutmeg - come together and combine to make this robust meat sauce in your pot.  I follow what Marie did and finish the sauce with whole milk instead of cream.  If I'm making it ahead, as I often do, I save the basil and parmesan cheese to stir in when I'm ready to serve.

Ina suggests pairing the bolognese with orecchiette (pasta shaped like "little ears") and I've tried that.  In fact, I've tried this sauce with many different pasta shapes but my favorite has to be pappardelle.  It's perfect for any type of bolognese or ragu type sauce.  And trusty Trader Joe's has a great egg pappardelle I love to use.  

You really can't go wrong with whatever type of pasta you go with.  Just be sure to toss your pasta with the sauce and then ladle some extra sauce on top.  I like to scoop up an extra bowl of sauce because we can never have too much and my son likes to plop some on top of his garlic bread.  

This is a very satisfying meal, particularly on a cold night, and we loved sharing it this past weekend with our family.  What's better than good food with good company!

Recipe:

Ina's Weeknight Bolognese
Adapted from Ina Garten

- Serves 6 to 8 - 

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound lean ground sirloin
4 teaspoons minced or grated garlic (about 4 cloves)
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 1/4 cups dry red wine, divided
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, for seasoning
1 pound pappardelle (or other) dried pasta
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 cup whole milk (or cream, if you prefer)
1/4 cup chopped basil leaves
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a large Dutch oven.  Add ground sirloin and cook, crumbling the meat with a wooden spoon, for about 7 minutes, until meat starts to brown (at this point, you'll see the moisture has evaporated and the meat is starting to sear).  Stir in the garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes and cook for 1 minute.  Add 1 cup of the red wine and stir, scraping up any browned bits at the bottom of the pan.  Add tomatoes, tomato paste, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, about 1 teaspoon of black pepper.  Stir to combine.  Bring mixture to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Add 1 tablespoon of salt to the pot, then the pasta.  Cook pasta until just al dente, according to instructions.

While pasta cooks, finish the sauce.  Add nutmeg, milk, basil, and remaining 1/4 cup of red wine, and simmer for another 8-10 minutes.  Add cooked pasta and parmesan cheese into the sauce, tossing to combine.  Serve hot, with extra parmesan cheese, if desired.

* Make ahead: I like to make the sauce ahead or reserve some for another day. I finish the sauce without adding the basil or parmesan cheese.  I stir those in when I re-heat the sauce when I'm ready to serve.  To freeze, let sauce cool completely and place portions in a freezer bag.  Lay bag(s) flat on a baking sheet in the freezer until solid.  Once frozen, you can easily stack or store the bags upright in your freezer.