The weather was cold and ugly this weekend and time for some true comfort food. And rather than trying something completely new, we cooked up a classic recipe with a bit of a new twist. After a bit of research, we decided to try an Emeril Lagasse Spaghetti Bolognese dish that we found on foodnetwork.com. It only took a couple of hours to make, tasted phenomenal and we have plenty of leftovers for the week ahead. In addition to the classic Bolognese ingredients, this one has tasty ingredients such as pancetta and pork sausage which add a whole lot of taste to this dish.
Ok, here's the recipe that we found on Foodnetwork.com. And just to note, we decided to use Whole Wheat Spaghetti from Wholefoods. Delicious.
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 4 ounces bacon or pancetta, diced
* 1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onions
* 3/4 cup diced carrots
* 3/4 cup diced celery
* 1 tablespoon minced garlic
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 2 bay leaves
* 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
* 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* 1 pound ground beef or ground veal
* 1/2 pound pork sausage, removed from the casings, or ground pork
* 2 tablespoons tomato paste
* 1 cup red wine
* 2 (14 1/2-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes and their juice
* 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can tomato sauce
* 1 cup beef or chicken stock or broth
* 2 teaspoons sugar
* 1/4 cup heavy cream
* 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
* 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
* 1 pound spaghetti
* 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
This list of ingredients yields enough for about 6-8 people.
Directions
In a large pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring, until browned and the fat is rendered, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the onions, carrots and celery and cook, stirring, until soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic, salt, pepper, bay leaves, thyme, oregano, cinnamon, and nutmeg and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the beef and sausages, and cook, stirring, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the wine and cook, stirring, to deglaze the pan and remove any browned bits sticking to the bottom of the pan, and until half of the liquid is evaporated, about 2 minutes.
Add the tomatoes and their juices, the tomato sauce, beef broth, and sugar and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, to keep the sauce from sticking to the bottom of the pan, until the sauce is thickened and flavorful, about 1 1/2 hours. Add the cream, butter, and parsley, stir well, and simmer for 2 minutes. Discard the bay leaves and adjust the seasoning, to taste. Remove from the heat and cover to keep warm until ready to serve.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and return the water to a low boil. Cook, stirring occasionally to prevent the noodles from sticking, until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain in a colander.
Add the pasta to the sauce, tossing to coat. Add 1/2 cup of the cheese and toss to blend. Divide among pasta bowls and serve with the cheese passed tableside. (Alternatively, toss only the desired portion of pasta with a bit of the sauce at a time in a serving bowl, reserving the remainder for another meal.)
We're actually big fans of Emeril Lagasse here at the Seven Fishes Blog. Here are a few of his books that you might want to give a try.
Emeril's Potluck: Comfort Food with a Kicked-Up Attitude
From Emeril's Kitchens: Favorite Recipes from Emeril's Restaurants
Emeril's TV Dinners: Kickin' It Up a Notch with Recipes from Emeril Live and Essence of Emeril
Such a great recipe.Perfect dish for me.
-Ava
Posted by: Jollibee Philippine | July 30, 2009 at 06:33 PM
Hmmm... seems so delicious! I really love spaghetti but I don't know how to cook it. Anyway. glad that you shared the recipe. Thanks for sharing. Keep it up!
-megan-
Posted by: Jollibee Philippine | November 11, 2009 at 10:59 PM