Thursday, February 4, 2010

Ragu Bolognese

I love getting my Taste of Home cooking magazine in the mail. It is always chock full of great recipes that are really yummy! The latest issue has not disappointed!

I tried the Ragu Bolognese and it is absolutely fabulous! I know it's great when my husband tells me to throw out any recipes I have for spaghetti sauce or lasagna sauce and use this one!

DO NOT let the amount of ingredients scare you. It's VERY easy to make. So here's the recipe:

Ragu Bolognese
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 lb. ground pork
1/4 lb. bacon strips, diced
2 medium onions, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
2 small carrots, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup beef broth
1 can (28 oz.) crushed tomatoes (I used stewed and they worked fine)
1 can (15 oz.) tomato sauce
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
2 bay leaves
2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. each ground cumin, nutmeg and pepper
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. minced fresh parsley
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (fresh is ALWAYS better!)
Hot cooked pasta and additional Parmesan cheese

In a Dutch oven, cook the beef, pork, bacon, onions, celery and carrots over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add garlic; cook 2 minutes longer. Add broth; cook for 4-5 minutes or until liquid is reduced by half.

Stir in the tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, bay leaves, sugar and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 1-1/2 to 2 hours or until thickened, stirring occasionally. Discard bay leaves. Add the cream, butter and parsley; cook 2 minutes longer. Stir in cheese. Serve with pasta and additional cheese. Enjoy!

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