V. M. (Valerie) Burns Bolognese Pasta @vmburns #recipe

 VMBurns: I've been in the mood for Italian food for over a week. Of course, I'm supposed to be dieting. I need to reduce carbs (so says my doctor). So, although I've been craving it, I have not indulged. Until today. Sometimes, the only way to stop a craving is just to eat it. So, today, I made Bolognese sauce. This isn't just any Bolognese. I made Marcella Hazan's Bolognese sauce. Who is Marcella Hazan? Apparently, she is the Queen of Italian cooking. Now, I made modifications to the original. Not because I know more about Italian food, but out of necessity. The original recipe calls for 3/4 pound of ground beef. I compared several recipes and one recipe mixed ground pork with ground beef. I had ground pork which needed to be used, so I mixed it. Also, I'm not big on tomatoes. The original recipe used imported plum tomatoes. Yeah, those weren't an easy find in the South. So, I went with whole tomatoes.  NOTE: There is tomato paste in the picture, but it is not used in the recipe.

BOLOGNESE SAUCE

INGREDIENTS

1 lb ground beef

1/2 lb ground pork

1 can whole tomatoes

1/2 cup onions, chopped

1/2 cup celery, chopped

2/3 cup carrots, diced

1 cup whole milk

1 1/4 cup white wine

4 Tablespoons butter 

1 Tablespoon vegetable oil

1/8 Teaaspoon nutmeg

2 grindings of fresh Black pepper

2 pinches Kosher salt

1/2 lb Pappardelle pasta

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Add the vegetable oil and 3 tablespoons of butter to a large pot. When the butter melts, add the chopped onions and cook on medium and cook until the onions are translucent.

   

   
   
2. Add the celery and carrots to the onions and stir and cook for approximately 2 minutes..

   

   
   
3. Add ground beef, pork, a large pinch of salt and a couple of grindings of black pepper. Use a wooden spoon to crumble the meat. Stir and cook until the meat is browned. 

   

   
   
4. Reduce the heat to simmer and add the milk. Let it simmer gently while stirring frequently until the liquid has reduced.

   

   
   
5. Add nutmeg, and stir. Then, add the wine. 

   

   
   
6. Let the mixture simmer until all of the wine has evaporated. 
7. Add the tomatoes and stir thoroughly to coat all ingredients well. Cook on low for 3 1/2 - 4 hours uncovered.
8. Check the sauce periodically to make sure that it has not become dry. If it is dry, add 1/2 cup of water and continue to cook until all of the water has evaporated and the fat has separated from the meat sauce.
   
   
   
9. Follow the instructions on the package and cook the pasta. Drain and coat the pasta with the remaining tablespoon of butter.
10. Toss the pasta and Bolognese sauce and serve with parmesan cheese.

MURDER IS A PIECE OF CAKE

With small town New Bison’s Spring Festival just around the corner, the pressure is on Maddy to continue her late great-aunt Octavia’s legacy. That means scoring the top prize and transforming Baby Cakes into Southwest Michigan’s must-visit bakery, even though her inexperience in the kitchen brings nightmares of humiliating tagged photos and scathing reviews.
 
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