Bolognese

Our family loves Bolognese! This is the perfect weeknight bolognese. You can serve it with any pasta of your choice or spaghetti squash or spiraled zucchini. It is really good with a caesar salad with baked croutons. I love to cook it in the oven, I think it enhances the flavors and it makes the whole house smell good. A crock pot works great, too!

Serves: 4-6
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: Depends on how you cook it:
OVEN: 275-300 degrees F for 3 hours
SLOW COOKER (Crock Pot):  4-5 hours on high, 8-10 on low

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound ground beef
½ pound ground veal
½ pound ground pork
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon dried oregano
¾ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 ¼ cup dry red wine, divided use
1 cup chicken or beef broth
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 pound dried pasta, of your choice
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ cup fresh basil, chopped, lightly packed (extra for garnish, optional)
¼ cup heavy cream
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. or prepare Slow Cooker (crock pot).

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large stockpot over medium high heat.
2. Add the ground beef, ground pork and ground veal, crumbling the meat with the back of a wooden spoon, for about 10 minutes, until the meat has lost its pink color and has started to brown.
3. Stir in the garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes and cook for 1 more minute.
4. Pour in 1 cup of the wine, broth, tomatoes, tomato paste, salt and pepper, stir until combined.
5.  If using oven, leave in stockpot, and put in oven for 3 hours until sauce has thickened.
6. Ten minutes before serving, add nutmeg, fresh basil, heavy cream and the ¼ cup of wine and bring to a boil, then, reduce the heat and simmer 8-10 minutes on stove top.
7. If using slow cooker (crock pot), transfer mixture to crock pot and cook until thickened, 4-5 hours on high and 5-10 on low.
8. The last 30 minutes cooking, add nutmeg, fresh basil, heavy cream and the ¼ cup of wine. Cover and cook in crockpot for 30 more minutes.
9. Cook pasta according to package directions, when the pasta is cooked, drain and pour into a large serving bowl. Add the sauce and ½ cup of Parmesan cheese and toss well. Serve hot with Parmesan on the side.

Serving: Garnish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and fresh basil (optional).

RESOURCE LINKS:

Breville Food Processor

Le Creuset Signature Enameled Cast-Iron 6.75 Quart Oval French (Dutch) Oven