Author: Allie, Hamama Success Manager Prep Time: 45 minutes Cook Time: 4.5 hours Makes: 6-8 servings There’s nothing wrong with a quick spaghetti dinner with your favorite jarred sauce but if you have extra time, I recommend trying this delicious, slow-cooked Bolognese recipe. Follow the instructions exactly and take the time required to make it because the flavors really meld together after a few hours of simmering. It’s a rich and delicious recipe and it’s totally worth the time. Ingredients: 1 large onion or 2 small, chopped 2 large carrots, ½-inch dice 3 ribs celery, 1-inch dice 4 cloves garlic Extra-virgin olive oil, for the pan Kosher salt 2 lbs ground chuck 1 lb ground italian sausage 2 cups tomato paste 3 cups hearty red wine, such as cabernet (Can sub beef broth) Water 3 bay leaves 1 bunch thyme, tied in a bundle 1 pound spaghetti ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese High quality extra-virgin olive oil, for finishing Garnish: Garlicky chives microgreens Grated Parmesan cheese Instructions: In a food processor, puree onion, carrots, celery, and garlic into a coarse paste. Coat a large pan with olive oil and place over medium heat. Add the pureed veggies and season generously with salt. Bring the pan to a medium-high heat and cook until all the water has evaporated and they become nice and brown, stirring frequently, about 15 to 20 minutes. Be patient, this is where the big flavors develop. Add the ground beef / Italian sausage and season again generously with salt. Brown the meat for another 15 to 20 minutes - don’t rush this step. Add the tomato paste and cook for 4-5 minutes. Add the red wine & cook until the wine has reduced by half, another 4 to 5 minutes. Add water to the pan until the water is about 1 inch above the meat. Toss in the bay leaves and the bundle of thyme and stir to combine everything. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer, stirring occasionally. As the water evaporates you will gradually need to add more, about 2 cups at a time. Don't be shy about adding water during the cooking process, you can always cook it out. When you continue to reduce and add more water, big rich flavors develop. Stir and taste frequently. Season with salt as needed. Simmer for 3 ½ to 4 hours. During the last 30 minutes of cooking, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat, heavily salt then cook the spaghetti according to package instructions. Reserve ½ cup of the pasta cooking water. Drain the pasta and add to the pot with the bolognese. Toss the pasta to coat with the sauce. Add the reserved pasta cooking water and cook the pasta and sauce together over a medium heat until the water has reduced. Turn off the heat and give a big sprinkle of Parmigiano and a generous drizzle of the high quality finishing olive oil. Toss until combined. Serve and garnish with remaining grated Parmigiano and garlicky chives.. Serve immediately.
