There is beef screaming in a pan.
Sounds reminiscent of far away whines, haunted tales of shivering, scavenging coyotes. A diffuse, rhetorical shriek. Plaguing, irking, mesmerizing Glob (the blog dog) to his core.
It’s going to be delicious, no doubt.
Butter drops in. The splintering, sizzling splatter.
Salt snow flakes.
Frying, still weeping. Blackening, bursting, lest not burn.
Carmel and scorch.
Blood seeps. Pours. Hemorrhaging.
A reddened, clotted, crimson gravy coats the cast iron floor. Spatter on my floor. Glob, gets a lick. He says it’s delicious, no doubt.
A culinary filibuster of sorts.
Meat meeting his maker – Or at least his makers dog.
Incorporate the accoutrements.
Pasta percolates. Bay leaves, basil, black pepper blister. The coyotes. Another clamorous, bellowing bay.
Carrots crackle. Tomatoes in torsion.
Pinotage impregnates in matrimonial persecution. Blended in a conglomerate, infused in a bath of wine and whines and sanguine.
They are closer now.
It will be delicious, no doubt.
Feeds you and your pack; Takes 1.5hrs (including simmering time)
Ingredients
- 1lb ground beef (80/20) or 1/2lb ground beef and 1/2lb ground pork
- 1 cup red wine (I used a pinotage here but a jammy zin would be great too)
- 1 large heirloom carrot or parsnip, shredded (I prefer parsnips)
- 1 medium sweet onion, diced small
- 2 celery stalks, diced small
- 1 16oz can of san marzano tomatoes in juice (crushed or puréed)
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 4-5 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp rosemary, minced
- 1 tbsp thyme, minced
- 1 tbsp fresh oregano, minced + a bit fo garnish (same with all herbs you prefer to garnish with)
- 1 bunch basil, julienned
- 1 small bunch parsley, chopped
- 2 cups asiago cheese, shredded or ground and divided
- 2-3 tsp red pepper flakes
- 2-3 bay leaves
- 2 small dashes cinnamon
- 3 tbsp half and half
- 1 tbsp honey (optional – but do it)
- 1 tbsp anchovy paste (optional)
- 1 tbsp ground cayenne (optional)
- 1 cup ricotta cheese (optional – def do it)
- 1/2 box spaghetti (or other pasta of your choice)
- 10 cups water
- Kosher salt to season pasta water
- EVOO, salt and pepper
Method
In a large dutch oven combine carrot/parsnip, onion and celery and in about 3 tbsp EVOO. Add a large pinch of salt and Sauté for ~ 5 min on medium heat. Add rosemary and thyme and cook another minute or so.
Add garlic and stir constantly to make sure it does not burn.
Deglaze with wine and allow to cook off until approximately half the liquid has evaporated (about 5 min).
Add meat and season with salt and pepper. Allow to brown and stir often (about 10 min).
Add tomatoes in juice along with tomato and anchovy pastes. Also add bay leaves, red pepper flakes, cayenne and cinnamon at this time.
Let simmer on low heat with lid cracked for at least 1 hr, adding additional wine or tomato juice to keep mixture wettish.
After about an hour, taste and adjust your seasonings. I tend to add the tbsp of honey to cut a little acidity, but this is optional.
After this is complete, make pasta according to instructions on box. Reserve a cup of starchy pasta water for later use.
While pasta is cooking, add basil, parsley, oregano, half and half and half of the asiago to the meat mixture.
Drain pasta. Combine and toss meat sauce over shells. Top with pepper, extra herbs and cheese. OPA!
OPTION – I made this bolognese in the middle of spring. If I were to do it in the fall or winter I would probably opt for a heartier version, or a lighter version in summer..Here are some variations, depending on your season (or mood:)
Cold weather: At the end of the simmering process add 1/2 cup of mascarpone cheese for a richer, silky texture. If you don’t have fresh herbs on hand, you could substitute dried or frozen fresh herbs (garden herbs year round!). I simply chop herbs in summer and add them to ice cube trays with water and freeze! A rind of parmesan added to the sauce deepens the flavor as well, particularly when added prior to the simmering process. You could finish it off with a drip of heavy cream or pat of butter for that certain hearty je ne sais quoi.
Warm weather: If it’s hot outside, a heavy pasta dish is usually far from my mind, but sometimes cravings do strike. If you suffer from this bane as well you could opt for a dry white instead of red wine. You could also use ground turkey or chicken (or dare I say..even go veggie). The other option is to omit the pasta (???) and serve over grilled bread or brown rice.
Around a campfire or around a fire place, either way it’s delicious, no doubt.
Don’t feel like making your own? Check out my restaurant section for places that make crazy, rock your world bolognese – including ‘Cantinetta’ in Bellevue, WA.
Need more pasta ideas? I got you:
- Crispy Chickpea Couscous with Feta and Lemon
- Tagliatelle with Sun Dried Tomato Pesto, Hazelnuts and Burrata
- “Christmas Risotto” with Beet Juice and Artichokes
- Japanese Yam Gnocchi with Rosemary Brown Butter
- Enchilada Lasagna
- Drunken Pepper Rigatoni with Chicken Sausage, Kale and Ricotta
