Bolognese Pasta Sauce

Good morning! How was your weekend? We had a beautiful and hot weekend here and it finally felt like summer. It was so nice to walk by the ocean and feel the sand between my toes, to meet with friends and to just relax.

I am a very lazy cook in the summer so if I can use my crock pot at anytime to make life and dinner easier, I do. This bolognese sauce is hearty, delicious and easy to make in the crock pot but it can also be made on the stove-top. What I like to do is make a double batch and then freeze half for sometime later.

Bolognese Sauce

Recipe from Williams Sonoma

2 Tbs, olive oil

11/4 lb EACH of ground beef and pork

kosher salt and pepper to taste

4 oz. pancetta, cut into 1/2 dice

1 yellow onion, finely chopped

2 carrots, peeled and finely diced

1 celery stalk, finely diced

5 garlic cloves, minced

1/3 cup tomato paste

1 cup dry red wine

1 cup milk

2 cans whole(28 oz.) tomatoes, passed through a food mill

2 bay leaves

1 parmigiano-reggiano cheese rind

1 lb. Tagliatelle, cooked

In the stove-top insert of a slow cooker, over medium-high heat, warm 1 Tbs. oil. Cook beef and pork, salt and perter for 12 minutes. Drain the meat on paper towels. Cook pancetta for 7 minutes, then drain on paper towels. 

Reduce heat to medium, warm 1 Tbs. oil. Cook onion, carrots, and celery 8 minutes. Then add garlic, cook 1 minutes. Add tomato paste, then cook 2 minutes. Add wine, simmer 5 minutes. Then add the meats back to the pot, the mil, and the tomatoes, bay leaves, cheese rind, and salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer. Then place the insert into the slow cooker and cover and cook on high for 3/12 hrs. Discard the bay leaves and the rind. Toss pasta with 3 cups sauce, reserve remaining sauce.

What did you make this weekend? Did you bake or grill, try something new or make a family favorite? Share with us if you did, I love learning about new foods. 

Have a fabulous week.