Pasta is by far my favorite when it comes to types of comfort food. There aren’t many pasta variations that I do not like, but tomato based sauces are always what I lean towards. I have always loved all of the different flavors that come through in a bolognese sauce, so I decided to create my own version of it. I chose to use rigatoni with this bolognese because I love how it holds on to so much of the sauce on each noodle.
Typically, white wine is used when making bolognese. I decided to use red wine (cabernet to be exact) because I wanted to take advantage of the full-bodied heartiness that comes with it. Also, I opted to leave my vegetables a little more visible where some recipes instruct you to puree them into the sauce. If you have picky eaters who do not want to see their veggies, feel free to pulse them a few times in your food processor before adding them to the pot. This way, you will still get the same flavors, and you can trick your kids into eating some vegetables.
This is definitely a dish that you can make for dinner guests that will easily leave them impressed. This really is a simple pasta to make. The hardest part is being patient while it simmers. Make a fresh side salad, some warm bread and open a bottle of wine because this is going to be a great dinner!
Please let me know what you think of this recipe, and enjoy!
Rigatoni Bolognese
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 4 oz pancetta diced
- 1 medium carrot chopped
- 1 stalk celery chopped
- 1 small onion chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 lb very lean ground beef
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 15 oz can diced tomatoes
- 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 bunch basil chopped
- parmesan cheese to top pasta
Instructions
- Heat a large sauce pan or stock pot over medium heat. Add the olive oil and pancetta and sauté until the pancetta is crispy. Add the carrot, celery, onion and garlic and sauté until the onion is starting to become translucent. Add the ground beef and break it up while cooking until it is cooked through.
- Pour in the wine, diced tomatoes and crushed tomatoes. Stir the sauce and allow it to come to a boil. After it has come to a boil, reduce the heat to low and stir in the salt and pepper and basil. Allow the sauce to simmer, uncovered, on low for at least an hour. Taste and add more salt and pepper as needed.
- After the sauce has simmered for at least an hour, cook the rigatoni according to the package instructions. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Toss the rigatoni and sauce to combine. Sprinkle with parmesan and enjoy!
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