Pasta con Ragu Bolognese
Oregano and marjoram can be used interchangeably—the flavors are similar. Commonly believed food lore is that Bolognese sauce originated from someone using a leftover meatloaf to fortify a sauce.
Serves: 10Hands-on: 30 minutesTotal: 2 hours 15 minutesDifficulty: Easy
Serves: 10
Ingredients
- 4 slices toasted Italian bread
- 1⁄2 lb. lean ground beef
- 1⁄2 lb. ground veal
- 1⁄2 lb. lean ground pork
- 1 large egg
- 1⁄4 cup grated Romano cheese
- 3 small shallots, peeled and minced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1⁄4 cup chopped marjoram or oregano
- 1⁄2 tsp. ground black pepper
- 6 plum tomatoes, diced
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 lb. spaghetti
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Soak the bread in water and immediately squeeze out the liquid.
- In a large loaf pan, mix together the ground meats, egg, cheese, shallots, garlic, marjoram, bread, and pepper. Bake for 45 minutes.
- Break up the meat mixture in a large saucepan, add the tomatoes, and simmer for 1 hour, uncovered.
- While the sauce simmers, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the pasta, and cook until al dente. Drain and set aside.
- In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, reduce the cream by half the volume, then whisk it into the tomato-meat mixture.
- Add the pasta to the sauce and toss to mix.