Spaghetti with Quick Bolognese Sauce

 

Sometimes I wonder how a person who loves pasta as much as I do ended up married to a person who absolutely hates pasta!   

Sad but true.  It just happened. There is no rhyme or reason to it.

 

My mom used to make what she called "Italian" spaghetti    . . .  we would have it every now and then, usually about once every couple of weeks.

 

It consisted of her browning a package of ground beef and then adding a can of Catelli spaghetti sauce to it . . .

 

That was it.  That was "Italian" spaghetti.  A plastic green container of "smelly sock" would sit on the table for us to sprinkle on top. 

It was not my favourite meal then . . . and it probably wouldn't be now.

  

A lot of people rely on jarred sauces to spoon over their pasta.  I don't blame them.  

When you've had a long day at work you are probably too exhausted when you get home from work to want to cook much of anything, but you must . . .  you probably have a starving family that is nipping at your heels, wanting some sustenance.

 

Its only too easy to rely on a ready-meal or a takeaway. 

 

This delicious sauce I am sharing with you today, combined with cooked spaghetti (or any other pasta) can actually be on your table in less time than it takes to order a pizza and have it delivered!

 

It requires very little work . . . just some chopped onion, chopped carrot (both of which you can actually chop in a food chopper) . . .  some crumbled Italian sausage meat . . .

 

Some tomato paste and a bit of red wine.  I never or hardly ever have red wine in the house and so I just a TBS or two of a good balsamic vinegar in its place.  

This works very well as a replacement.

 

You saute the onions and carrots, add some garlic and  the crumbled sausage meat and brown. 

The tomato paste and wine  or vinegar/water  (I add enough water to the vinegar to make up the same amount as the wine) goes in next and then a couple of cans of chopped tomatoes and their juice.

 

You simmer this together for half an hour and add some herbs and some cream at the end.

 

While its simmering you can cook your spaghetti/pasta . . .

 

Stir it into the sauce and serve with some grated Parmesan cheese grated on top and more to pass at the table.

 

A tossed salad on the side and some crusty bread and dinner is served!  

 

Quick, easy and delicious!

 

And a lot cheaper than a takeaway or a ready meal. Plus, you know exactly what's in it.  Have one of the other family members do the cleaning up!  You've earned a bit of a rest!

Spaghetti with Quick Bolognese

Yield: 4 - 6

Author: Marie Rayner

This deliciously quick version uses Italian Sausage (hot or sweet) in the place of the traditional ground meats.  Some salad and a crusty loaf and dinner is served!

ingredients:

For the Sauce:

• 1 TBS olive oil
• 1 medium onion, peeled and minced
• 1 small carrot, peeled and minced
• 1 pound Italian pork sausage
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 TBS tomato puree (tomato paste)
• 120ml red wine (1/2 cup)
• 2 (400g) tins chopped tomatoes with their juices (1 28-oz tin)
• 60ml heavy cream (1/4 cup)
• 2 TBS chopped fresh oregano, marjoram, or flat leaf parsley

To serve:

• 1/2 pound spaghetti
• 60g freshly grated Parmesan cheese (1/2 cup) plus more for sprinkling at the table

instructions:

How to cook Spaghetti with Quick Bolognese

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, without colouring and stirring frequently until it becomes tender and translucent. Add the carrots and cook for a further couple minutes. Squeeze the sausage meat from the casings into the skillet. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes. Season with salt and black pepper. Cook and stir for a few minutes, breaking up the sausage meat with a spoon, until beginning to brown. Add the wine and tomato puree. Cook for several minutes to reduce slightly. Add the tomatoes and their juices. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook, partially covered, for about 30 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the heavy cream and oregano/herbs.
2. While the sauce is simmering, bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. add the spaghetti and cook until al dente according to the package directions. Reserve 240ml/1 cup of the pasta water. Drain the spaghetti and add it to the pan with the sauce. Toss to coat. Add just enough of the pasta cooking water to make it a  nice consistency. Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese and serve. Pass more Parmesan at the table.

Created using The Recipes Generator

Pasta is always a great quick and easy supper solution and with this variety of sauces you are never far away from putting a tasty meal on the table for the family!  So what do you do for a pasta hater?  You just spoon his sauce onto a baked potato and sprinkle on some cheese.  Baked potatoes are quick and easy in the microwave.  Just prick them all over with a fork, wrap in some paper kitchen towelling and microwave on high for 6 to 8 minutes until they yield when gently pressed.

QUICK & EASY PASTA SAUCES
(printable)

Carbonara -  fry a few rashers of streaky bacon or pancetta in a large skillet until crisp.  Transfer to some paper kitchen towelling to drain. Pour any accumulated fat from the skillet and discard.  Beat 1 large free rang egg together in a bowl with 120ml (1/2 cup) of double (heavy) cream, fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Put 1/2 pound of warm  freshly cooked  and drained pasta (make sure you reserve some of the cooking water) into the skillet over low heat and heat through.  Turn off the heat and add the egg/cream mixture and some of the hot pasta cooking water.  Crumble in the cooked bacon and toss everything together to coat.  Top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.  Spaghetti, linguine and fettucine go well with this.

Wild Mushroom Sauce - heat 3 TBS utter and 1 TBS olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add 1/2 pound cleaned wild mushrooms, 2 peeled and minced shallots, and some salt and pepper.  Cook, stirring, until the mushrooms are golden brown.  Scoop out the mushrooms and add 60ml (1/4 cup) white wine to the skillet.  Cook to reduce slightly and then add 120ml (1/2 cup) double (heavy) cream. Season to taste and cook for a further 2 minutes. Return the cooked mushrooms to the sauce. Serve with your favourite hot pasta. (Pick one that will hold the sauce like orecchiette or chonchiglie)

Pepperonata Sauce - Heat 2 TBS of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add 4 chopped fresh peppers (red, green, yellow), 1 medium peeled and chopped red onion, seasoning with some salt and black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally for about 25 minutes.  Add 2 peeled and minced cloves of garlic, 3 TBS balsamic vinegar and 60ml (1/4 cup) of red wine.  Cook for a further 3 to 4 minutes. Turn out the heat and add 6 julienned basil leaves.  Serve with your favourite pasta. (Penne, rigatoni and farfalle go well.)

Lemon, Garlic & Olive Oil Sauce - Heat 60ml (1/4 cup) of good olive oil in a large skillet over moderate heat. Add 4 peeled and minced cloves of garlic. Cook and stir for a minutes, then add the grated zest and juice of 2 unwaxed lemons, along with 2 TBS chopped fresh parsley.  Cook and stir for a minute.  Season to taste and stir in 45g (1/4 cup) freshly grated Parmesan cheese.  serve with your favourite pasta. (I recommend capellini, vermicelli, orzo or spaghetti)

Roasted Red Pepper Sauce - Puree 2 roasted red peppers in a blender or food processor along with 2 peeled cloves of garlic, 8 large fresh basil leaves and 120g (1/2 cup) crumbled goats cheese. Season with salt and pepper and serve. (Good with ziti, conchiglie, rigatoni or fusilli)

Basil Pesto - Place 3 large handfuls fresh basil, 90g (1/2 cup) Parmesan cheese, 2 TBS toasted pine nuts, 4 smashed peeled garlic cloves, the juice of 1/2 lemon, seasalt and freshly ground black pepper to taste in a blender or food processor.  Pulse to chop.  With the motor running, drizzle in enough olive oil to give you a smooth, loose paste.  (Good with gemelli, conchiglie, fusilli, ravioli, orecchiette or orzo.)

Tomato Sauce - Heat 1 TBS olive oil in a large skillet over moderate heat. Add 2 peeled and minced shallots and saute just to soften. Add 1 peeled and minced clove of garlic and a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes. Cook for a minute, stirring constantly, without colouring. Add 120ml (1/2 cup) red wine and 2 (400g) (14 oz) tins of chopped tomatoes in juice, 2 TBS chopped fresh marjoram or oregano.  Season to taste with salt and pepper. Simmer for 15 minutes to thicken. For a creamy sauce you can add 60ml (1/4 cup) heavy cream. You can also vary this by adding some chopped black olives (a small handful), 2 TBS drained capers and some chopped anchovy to make a puttanesca sauce. (Great with ziti conchiglie, farfalle or gemelli.)

Alfredo Sauce - Add 4 TBS cubed butter, 60ml (1/4 cup) double (heavy) cream along with 45g (1/4 cup) freshly grated Parmesan cheese to a skillet.  Add 1/2 pound of  warm just cooked pasta and toss all together to melt the butter and cheese.  Season to taste with salt, black pepper and a grating of nutmeg.  (Serve with fettuccine or linguine.)

Fresh Sage & Brown Butter Sauce - Melt 4 TBS of cubed butter over medium heat.  Add 3 TBS chopped fresh sage and 10 whole sage leaves.  Cook for 3 minutes, swirling occasionally, until the butter turns brown and is nutty smelling. (Take care not to burn.)  Season to taste with salt and pepper and toss with warm ravioli.  Sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan cheese to serve. (Pumpkin, spinach or sweet potato ravioli are particularly good with this.)


Have a great day! 

 

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