Pasta Bolognese

What's for dinner, you ask? Well, if it's Monday, it's pasta. A certain member of the household believes that pasta is best served on Monday and Wednesday (not Tuesday, and most definitely, not Friday). We're not talking just any pasta, though. It has to be "strings." Did you know that spaghetti tastes different than farfalle or rotini? I didn't either. I have given up trying to convince said person that pasta is pasta, though.

Tonight, I think we'll go for a simple bolognese sauce, adapted from Everyday Italian by Giada De Laurentiis. I've reduced the amount of olive oil and replaced her Pecorino Romano with an American cow's milk Romano. I also create what Lidia Bastianiach calls a pestata with the garlic, onion, celery, carrot and parsley, which produces a more smooth sauce.

Bolognese Sauce

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 sweet onion
1 carrot, peeled
1 large celery stalk
3 garlic cloves
1/4 cup flat leaf parsley
1 lb. ground sirloin
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes (Cento is good)
Handful of fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup Romano cheese, grated
Salt and black pepper to taste

In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium-high. Pulse onion, carrot, celery, garlic and parsley in a food processor and add to pan. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Sauté vegetables until soft. Add ground sirloin and cook until meat is no longer pink. Add tomatoes and basil, and if using Cento brand tomatoes, add a bit of water to the can and rinse out remaining tomato. Let sauce simmer while pasta water comes to a boil. Stir in grated cheese and additional salt and pepper to taste just before serving. Makes enough for 1 to two pounds of pasta.

When time permits, I also make another, more authentic bolognese sauce with wine, broth and milk that's adapted from Eat this Book: Cooking with Global Fresh Flavors by Tyler Florence. I have omitted the ground veal and reduced the amount of stock, as well as added some much-needed tomato paste.

Bolognese Sauce II

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 sweet onion
1 carrot, peeled
1 large celery stalk
3 garlic cloves
1/4 cup flat leaf parsley
1 lb. ground sirloin
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes (Cento is good)
5 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 cup red or white wine
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup whole milk
Handful of fresh basil leaves
2 bay leaves
Salt and black pepper to taste

In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium-high. Pulse onion, carrot, celery, garlic and parsley in a food processor and add to pan. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Sauté vegetables until soft. Add ground sirloin and cook until meat is no longer pink. Stir in tomato paste and wine. Add crushed tomatoes and 1 cup of low-sodium chicken stock. Simmer for 1 to 2 hours, adding a few tablespoons of water if sauce becomes too thick. 30 minutes before serving, reduce heat to low and add whole milk, as well as salt and pepper to taste. Makes enough for two to three pounds of pasta.

Prefer a meatless marinara? Toss this easy sauce with your favorite pasta and freshly grated Grana Padano. It bakes up nicely, too.

Tomato Sauce

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 medium cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 container Pomi Chopped Tomatoes
Salt, pepper and crushed red pepper to taste
Handful of fresh basil leaves, torn by hand

Sauté garlic in oil, adding the salt, pepper and crushed red pepper. Once the garlic becomes fragrant (don’t let it brown or it will become bitter), add the chopped tomatoes. Simmer the sauce until it’s reduced and thickened a little, usually as long as it takes the water to boil and the pasta to cook. Add the fresh basil leaves just before taking off the heat. Makes enough for one to two pounds of pasta.