Good Food to Feed a Big Crowd: Bolognese

I don't think I like anything much more than Bolognese-- meat sauce over pasta. I build my Bolognese with lots of flavor--- and really let it cook down to almost a paste consistency to make it really hearty, thick and rich. You can reconstitute it with stock (even chicken or veggie stock is fine) if you want to thin it out a little before serving. Bolognese, a cold salad, some fresh bread, and a good bottle of wine is a party in my book. Next time you want to impress somebody you love, invite them over for this classic Italian supper... you'll get rock star status for this one! Ciao!

BOLOGNESE

This makes a big pot. I usually freeze half but don't add the cream to the part I freeze.

1 T olive oil

5-6 strips bacon or pancetta, diced

1 large onion, diced

1 cup carrots, diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 t. kosher salt

1/2 t. black pepper

1 t. fresh thyme- minced (ok use 1/2 t. dried thyme instead)

1/2 t. fresh oregano, minced (ok to use 1/4 t. dried oregano)

1/4 t. fresh ground nutmeg

1 1/2 pounds ground beef

1 pound ground veal (optional)

1/2 pound ground pork sausage (I use Italian sausage and take it out of the casing)

 3 T. tomato paste

2 cups red wine (optional)

1 can (28 ounces) whole tomatoes including the juice, crushed

1 can (28 ounces) tomato puree

1 can (14.5 ounce) tomato sauce

3 cups beef broth (you can also use veg or chicken)

1 Arbol chili

3 bay leaves

1/2 T. sugar

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 T. fresh Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped fine

1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated or shaved

Add the olive oil to a large pot and heat. Over medium-high heat, add the bacon and cook until browned. Add the carrots and onions. Cook until soft. Add the garlic and cook for a minute, stirring constantly. Add the salt, pepper, oregano, thyme, and nutmeg. Add the beef and the sausage. Cook until the meat is browned, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook for one minute, stirring constantly.

Add 1 cup of the red wine (or use stock if you are not cooking with the wine) and use that to deglaze the pan, scraping all of the flavor off the bottom of the pan. Reduce the heat to medium. Let the wine reduce completely, stirring occasionally. Add the other cup of wine and cook, reducing the liquid until it is almost completely gone. Once the wine has cooked down, addd the whole tomatoes (crush them first- I just crush them with my hand) plus the tomato puree and the tomato sauce, and half of the beef broth. Bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly to keep the sauce from sticking on the bottom of the pot. Add the sugar, chili and the bay leaf. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 2-3 hours, stirring frequently. Add more beef broth as the sauce cooks down and becomes thick. You want the sauce to be very thick and paste like but you can add the broth to reconstitute it a bit if you like.

Before serving, remove the chili and the bay leaf. Stir in the cream. Serve with the Parmesan cheese over any hot pasta you like. Sprinkle the cheese over the hot pasta, then ladle over the sauce. Top with fresh parsley. Heaven on a plate!

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