Fettuccine alla Bolognese

This classic Italian dish is meant to be cooked for a long period of time. It's rustic & comforting yet elegant enough to serve to guests. Start it in the afternoon & let the sauce simmer on the stove all afternoon, perfect for a Sunday dinner! Slowly cooking & adding a little cream at the end produces a beautifully rich & thick meat sauce. This is traditionally served with Tagliatelle (Italians say never with Spaghetti!) but I love it with Fettuccine! Ingredients:

2-3 oz of Pancetta or Bacon, chopped

1 medium Onion, finely chopped

1 small/ medium Carrot, finely chopped

1 Celery Stalk, finely chopped

2 cloves of Garlic, minced

1 lb Lean Ground Beef

28 oz can diced Tomatoes

8 oz can Tomato Sauce

6 oz can Tomato Paste

6 oz can Water

1 Beef Bouillon Cube

1/2 tsp dried Thyme

1/2 tsp dried Oregano

1 tsp Fresh Flat Leaf Parsley, chopped

2-3 tbsp Half & Half or Heavy Cream

Salt & Pepper

Olive Oil (if needed)

Fettuccine

Parmesan Cheese, freshly grated

Directions:

In a large pot or dutch oven, cook the pancetta or bacon ( I used 3 stripes of Bacon) over medium heat. When the bacon is mostly cooked, add the chopped onion, celery & carrot. Cook until the veggies are soft. You may need to add some olive oil, depending on the fat content of your bacon. I didn't need to add any.

Add the garlic & ground beef. Season with salt & pepper. Cook until the beef is no longer pink.

Add the diced tomatoes with all their juices, the tomato sauce, & the tomato paste. Using the can from the tomato paste, add the water. Stir to incorporate. Add the bouillon cube, thyme & oregano.

Cook until it starts bubbling. Then turn the heat to low & cover. Simmer on low for as long as you can. I let it cook all afternoon, about 4-5 hours. Of course, you don't have to let it cook that long. But I would try to let it simmer for 1-2 hours. The longer it cooks, the thicker & tastier it gets!

Cook your pasta, according to the package directions. Add the half & half or cream & stir to incorporate. I used half & half this time.

Toss sauce with the pasta, top with Parmesan cheese & fresh chopped parsley.

YUM! Serve with a green salad & crusty garlic bread!

This makes a lot of sauce. I would say it would easily serve 6-8 people. I always freeze half of it for an easy dinner later. (Just make sure you freeze just the sauce- not the pasta with it!)