Quick Bolognese Sauce

This recipe for quick bolognese sauce simply bursts with flavour. It is also a quick, easy meal for during the week. It’s adapted ever so slightly from a Barefoot Contessa recipe to include whole San Marzano tomatoes instead of crushed. I prefer the chunks of tomato in it over the crushed version. I also dropped the pepper a bit as I found it too strong.

I’m not sure what it is about San Marzano tomatoes but they are simply the best. This, of course, could explain the wonderful flavour to this sauce. Or it could be the wine. You be the judge.

Quick Bolognese Sauce

2 tbsps olive oil
1 lb lean ground beef
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 1/4 cups dry red wine, divided (now go ahead and pour yourself a glass too)
1 28 ounce can whole San Marzano tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato paste
Freshly ground salt and pepper
1 lb of pasta
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook until no longer pink. Stir in garlic, oregano and red pepper flakes and cook for another minute. Pour 1 cup of wine into the skillet and scrape up any brown bits. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, 1 tbsp of salt and 1 tsp of pepper. Break up the tomatoes using the back of a fork or a potato masher. Stir until well combined. Bring to a boil and then lower heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

While sauce is cooking, take a sip of wine and then bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions.

While pasta is cooking, add the nutmeg, basil, cream and remaining 1/4 cup of wine to the sauce and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes until thickened.

Drain pasta and spoon into pasta bowls. Ladle bolognese over pasta and top with freshly grated parmesan.