Melissa’s Bolognese Sauce

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This week I have another Blogger’s Choice recipe swap with the ladies from my online cooking board.  When I saw that my blog was I Was Born to Cook, which is written by Melissa, I already knew what I wanted to make.  Melissa’s pasta dishes always have me drooling and the last two I made (Pumpkin and Sausage Pasta and Melissa’s Macaroni Salad) have both become staples in our meal plan.

A traditional Bolognese Sauce

When looking through her list of pastas and sauces the one that jumped out at me was her bolognese sauce.  My husband loves bolognese but usually I make a very basic one with tomatoes and ground beef.  I wanted something with a little more pizzazz and that’s what I got with Melissa’s.

The sauce starts with carrots, celery, and onions sauteed in olive oil.  I’ve never put carrots or celery in my sauce before so this was already a change.  A pinch of red pepper adds a subtle heat and then red wine is poured over top of the vegetables and meat.  Add in some tomatoes and seasoning and that’s it!  Not only was it fairly simple to make it was delicious!  Both Frank and I really enjoyed the sauce and not only had it for dinner but we both ate it for lunch the next day as well.

Melissa’s Bolognese Sauce  (adapted from I Was Born to Cook)
2 T. good olive oil
pinch of crushed red pepper
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloved, minced
1 t. sea salt
2 t. fresh ground pepper (I used rainbow peppercorns)
1 lb. lean ground beef
1/2 c. dry red wine
1 t. fresh oregano, chopped
1 t. fresh parsley, chopped
1 c. tomato sauce
1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
1/4 c. your favorite grated cheese (we used part Parmesan and part Pecorino Romano)

1.  Heat the oil in a large sauce pot over medium high heat.  Add in the crushed red pepper and give it a stir.

2.  Add in the celery, carrots, onion, and garlic.  Season with the salt and pepper.  Saute for 6-8 minutes or until the vegetables have softened.

3.  Push the vegetables to the sides of the pot and add in the ground beef.  Cook until it is browned and broken up.

4.  Pour the wine over top of the meat and vegetables and cook for 3-5 minutes.
Traditional Italian Bolognese Sauce
5.  Stir in the tomato sauce and crushed tomatoes.  Add the oregano and parsley and mix.

6.  Cook on low for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until the sauce has thickened.

7.  Serve over top of your favorite pasta and sprinkle with grated cheese.

Take a bite out of this tasty traditional Italian Bolognese sauce

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