Quick Bolognese Recipes

WEEKNIGHT BOLOGNESE

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large (12-inch) skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground sirloin and cook, crumbling the meat with a wooden spoon, for 5 to 7 minutes, until the meat has lost its pink color and has started to brown. Stir in the garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes and cook for 1 more minute. Pour 1 cup of the wine into the skillet and stir to scrape up any browned bits. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper, stirring until combined. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil, add a tablespoon of salt, a splash of oil, and the pasta, and cook according to the directions on the box.
• While the pasta cooks, finish the sauce. Add the nutmeg, basil, cream, and the remaining 1/4 cup wine to the sauce and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until thickened. When the pasta is cooked, drain and pour into a large serving bowl. Add the sauce and 1/2 cup Parmesan and toss well. Serve hot with Parmesan on the side.

FAST SPAGHETTI BOLOGNESE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add onion, garlic and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring often, until beginning to soften, 3 minutes. Add beef and cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 3 minutes.
• Add pasta to the pot and cook according to package instructions until al dente.
• Meanwhile, add tomato paste to skillet and cook, stirring, until darkened, about 1 minute. Add 1 cup water, Worcestershire, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and 1/2 teaspoon salt and simmer until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes.
• Using tongs, transfer pasta directly from the pot to the skillet along with 1 cup pasta water. Increase heat to high and simmer vigorously, tossing, until sauce reduces and coats the pasta, about 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with Parmesan.

CLASSIC BOLOGNESE

Steps:

• Heat a large, heavy pot over medium heat. Add EVOO, 2 turns of the pan. Add the butter to the oil in small pieces and when the butter foams, add the onions, carrots, celery, garlic and bay and stir, about 5 minutes. Add pancetta and stir 8 to 10 more minutes to render and crisp. Add about a third of the beef and crumble it with a wooden paddle or spoon, let all of the liquid absorb and let the meat begin to lightly caramelize before adding the next third; repeat. Season the meat with salt, pepper, white pepper and nutmeg. Add white wine, about a quarter to a third of a bottle, then stir and let it absorb into the meat. Scrape up all of the fond or the drippings from the meats and vegetables, being careful not to burn the meat. Add milk, tomatoes and about 1 cup stock, a piece of cheese rind from Parmigiano-Reggiano if you have one, then lower heat to simmer, partially cover and cook the sauce 2 1/2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally and thoroughly with a wooden spoon. Add up to 1 extra cup of stock if needed if sauce gets too thick. The perfect traditional Bolognese should be buttery, uniform and emulsified, the consistency of rich, tender, pourable oatmeal. Remove bay leaf and the rind, if using, from the sauce. Sauce may be made a few days ahead as the longer it sets, the better it gets.
• To serve, cook pasta in salted water 1 minute less than package directions for al dente. Reserve 1 full cup of starchy cooking water, then drain pasta and place back in hot pot.
• Combine pasta with about two-thirds of the sauce, the cooking water and a couple of handfuls of grated cheese, tossing with tongs to combine.
• Serve pasta in shallow bowls with a little torn basil.

QUICK BOLOGNESE

Steps:

• Soak the mushrooms: Place the porcini in warm water; soak for 15 minutes. Drain, reserving the liquid, then chop the porcini. Start a large pot of salted water boiling for your pasta.
• Saute the onions: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook gently to "sweat," about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and rosemary and cook for about a minute, or until the garlic is lightly browned.
• Add the veal and pork: Stir in the meat, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Cook 2 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Add the mushrooms; cook for about 4 minutes to caramelize the meat. Meanwhile, boil the pasta.
• Finish the sauce: Add the wine and 2 tablespoons porcini juice; cook for 1 minute to evaporate. Add the stock and parsley; cook for 2 minutes. Add the marinara and 1/4 cup pasta cooking water; simmer for 3 to 4 minutes. Toss with cooked pasta and the parmesan. Garnish with more cheese.

SUNNY'S QUICK BOLOGNESE WITH PAPPARDELLE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
• Using your hands or a knife, break or cut the beef patties into pea-size pieces.
• In a large straight-sided skillet, combine the pizza sauce, chicken stock, heavy cream, nutmeg and beef over medium-high heat. Season with just a bit of salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook until heated through, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook the pasta in the boiling water according to the package directions. Drain, add to the sauce and grate some Parmesan over the top. Stir together until the cheese melts, then serve.

QUICK BOLOGNESE SAUCE

Steps:

• Saute onion, celery, and carrot in olive oil. Cook, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add the ground beef; increase heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring occasionally, until evenly brown, about 15 minutes.
• Season with garlic salt and pepper. Stir in the wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Stir in the broth, tomato paste and tomatoes. Bring to a boil then turn down heat and let simmer uncovered for 40 to 50 minutes. Skim off fat if desired.
• Stir in heavy cream and heat but don't boil. Serve sauce over hot pasta. Garnish with fresh basil and grated Parmesan Cheese.

SPEEDY PASTA BOLOGNESE

Steps:

• Brown the beef in a large frying pan for 5 mins, then throw in the mushrooms and soften for 3 mins. Stir in the garlic and sun-dried tomato purée and cook for 2 mins. Add the tomatoes, wine or stock, dried herbs and seasoning. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 10 mins.
• While the sauce is simmering, cook the pasta as per pack instructions, drain, then serve with the sauce and torn basil leaves scattered on top.

EASY SPAGHETTI BOLOGNESE

Steps:

• Put 1 tbsp of the oil in a large saucepan over a medium-high heat, add the beef and fry until well browned. Tip out into a dish and repeat with 1 tbsp oil and the pork. Tip the pork into the dish with the beef and put the pan back on the heat with the remaining oil. Turn the heat down and cook the shallots for 8-10 mins or until very soft, then add the garlic. Tip the meat back into the pan and add the passata, purée, wine and oregano. Stir everything together, cover and simmer over a low heat, stirring occasionally, for 45 mins.
• Cook the spaghetti following pack instructions, then stir half the parmesan into the Bolognese. Put a spoonful of the pasta water into the sauce to loosen it if it looks too thick, then drain the spaghetti. For a better flavour, tip the pasta onto the sauce, toss everything together to coat, and season well (or serve with the sauce on top). Add the remaining parmesan and a few basil leaves.