spaghetti semi-bolognese

We were wandering around the grocery store this afternoon debating what to have for dinner. Mark suggested spaghetti bolognese. I decided that sounded good, then realized that the tomato sauce I usually make isn't actually a bolognese by any means. I started to explain this to Mark and was met with an increasingly glazed-over stare. His reply?

"How about this: you make something with meat and tomato that goes over pasta, and I'll eat it."

So, I did! I'm calling it semi-bolognese because I didn't put any cream in it, I didn't use celery in the sofrito, and I used a lot more tomato than a traditional bolognese.

I started with a "meatloaf mix" of ground pork, beef and veal. I browned it with some salt, pepper and garlic powder, then drained it and wiped out the pan. I added a tablespoon of butter to the pan, then sauteed a cup of chopped onion, a quarter of a cup of grated carrot, and a half a cup of chopped green pepper. When the veggies were soft, I added in two cloves of chopped garlic, and 2 tablespoons of tomato paste. I let the mixture cook down for about 2 minutes, then added about a quarter cup of white wine. This cooked down for another 2 minutes, then added a 28oz can of crushed tomatoes, two pinches of sugar, a pinch of salt, and the drained meat. I added a little dried oregano, dried thyme, and some chopped fresh parsley, then let the whole thing simmer until the spaghetti finished boiling. I served it with a spring-mix salad tossed with some extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

birthday dinner

My birthday fell on a Wednesday this year, so it wasn't really an ideal occasion to go out to eat. Instead, I made an epic batch of my favorite tomato sauce and we had a celebratory spaghetti feast! Sorry for the blurry picture. It smelled too good to spend much time adjusting the camera!



The pasta sauce is very quick and simple. I cooked up 4 links of Italian sausage, drained most of the fat, then added a chopped onion, a chopped green bell pepper, and some minced garlic. I let the mixture cook until the onions and peppers softened a little, about 3-4 minutes, then added a can of chopped San Marzano tomatoes with their juice. I added a pinch of salt, two pinches of sugar, a couple teaspoons of dried oregano and a teaspoon of dried thyme, and let the sauce simmer while I cooked my pasta. As soon as the pasta was done, I drained it and spooned the sauce over the top. I added a side-salad, a glass of beer, and voila! Birthday feast!