Spaghetti Bolognese
I love Bolognese Spaghetti, It's the best. On a cold night it's the kind of food that makes you very happy. This is delicious comfort food and only takes about 1/2 hour to make.
I've been studying chefs on you tube make their version of Spaghetti Bolognese, and Mario Batali has an interesting and very authentic take on it. He uses a mixture of ground meat and cooks it slowly with the aromatics, a small amount of tomato paste which he sears in the pan, and milk. Searing the tomato in the pan before adding liquid gives it a rich sweet tomato taste that is elevated from just plain old tomato sauce from a can. I like to use the tomato paste from Italy that comes in a tube. This recipe is a combo of some of Mario B's technique and the way I've always done it. Mine has more tomato in it, and not as much pepper. And I don't cook veal. So I leave that out. Here's how to make an easy pot of delicious spaghetti for supper.
In a large heavy bottomed pot, brown ground grass fed beef in a little olive oil with minced celery, carrot and onion. Season with salt and pepper. Cook slowly until everything starts to become fragrant. Add minced garlic and 1 large bay leaf. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of tomato paste and let it sear on the bottom of the pot for a few minutes until the color changes slightly. Add 3/4 cup red wine and a can of blended whole peeled tomatoes. Season with more salt and pepper. Let it simmer and bubble for a while until it thickens and becomes amazing.
Meanwhile heat a pot of salted water for the spaghetti. Cook according to package directions until al dente. When you drain it, reserve a little of the cooking water.
Toss the spaghetti with the sauce in a pot on the stove, adding a little bit of the water from the spaghetti pot if you need to thin it out slightly. The starchy water helps the whole thing come together. Top with Parmigiano reggiano and fresh basil leaves. Yum!