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Menu Plan for Winter I: Week 4, Day 2
Spaghetti Bolognese
Fresh Fruit
Cooking time: 60 minutes for menu Cooking schedule: see below for "menu" instructions
How about some Classic Italian? Something easy; something not creamy or cheesy or high-fat. Something to get us back to reality. The sauce makes a large batch, but it freezes well. We'll use more for the Lasagne. If there is any left - either eat it or freeze in 1 cup portions for quick lunches.
Spaghetti Bolognese
Total time: 60 minutes
This is a true Northern Italian meat sauce based on one found in the Time Life "Foods of the World, Italian,' book. It's not the tomato-y sauce that we have come to expect as the standard. It's full-flavored and fantastic, filled with minced vegetables and meat; but it's not thick.
Ingredients:
- fresh pasta, 8oz (240gr), spaghetti, linguini, fettuccini or 4oz (120gr) dry
- 2 tbs Greek yogurt, crème fraiche or milk
- 1/2 cup (2oz, 60gr) freshly grated Parmesan
- 1 1/2 - 2 cups Ragù Bolognese
- Ragù Bolognese:
- 4oz (120gr) Prosciutto
- 4oz (120gr) ground pork
- 16oz (480gr) ground beef
- 1 large onion, about 1 cup minced
- 1 medium carrot, about 1/3 cup minced
- 2 ribs celery, about 2/3 cup minced
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 1/2 cup (4oz, 120ml) white wine
- 2 cups (16oz, 480ml) beef stock
- 2 cups (15oz, 450gr) whole tomatoes
- 4 tbs tomato paste or 1 small can
- 1 tsp basil
- 1 tsp oregano
- a pinch of nutmeg
Instructions:
- Roughly chop the carrots, celery, garlic and onion. Then, very, very finely mince the vegetables. Do it in a food processor, or blender if you can, but stop before you make paste. If doing it by hand, make a mound on the cutting board, half at a time. With a large chef knife, mince them using a rocking motion.
- Heat 1 tbs oil in nonstick skillet. Add the vegetables and sauté over medium heat for 10 minutes. Remove and put into a large sauce pan.
- Finely chop/slice the ham. Put the ham, pork and beef into the same skillet. Sauté until cooked through and brown, breaking it up as small as you can.
- Pour in the wine, turn the heat up and boil until most of the liquid has cooked off, stirring to get up any browned bits in the skillet.
- Add the meat and remaining liquid to the vegetables.
- Roughly chop tomatoes, reserving all juices.
- Add stock, tomatoes, tomato paste, herbs and nutmeg to sauce.
- Bring to a boil, stir well, cover partially, reduce heat and simmer for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Refrigerate unused sauce for later or freeze for up to 4 months.
- Spaghetti Bolognese
- Cook pasta according to package directions.
- Combine crème fraiche with sauce.
- Toss the pasta with the sauce and serve, Parmesan on the side.
Note: The cream or crème fraiche is added when served over pasta.
Fresh Fruit
Something seasonal
or the rest of the Christmas cookies.....
Cooking Schedule: 60 minutes |
Add stock, tomato paste, herbs, nutmeg |
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