Thursday, July 28, 2011

Weeknight Bolognese


I can never have enough pasta recipes. There are so many variations of each type of pasta dish and I love trying them all out. This bolognese comes from Annie's blog and was a nice switch from our usual bolognese. The wine taste is very prominent so make sure you pick one you like!

Weeknight Bolognese

2 tbsp olive oil
1 lb lean ground sirloin, or turkey
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1.25 cups dry red wine, divided
1 28 0z can crushed tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp kosher salt
1.5 tsp ground black pepper
1 lb dried pasta, such as shells
pinch of ground nutmeg
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Crumble the ground meat into the pan. Cook until no longer pink and starting to brown, 5-7 minutes. Stir in the garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add 1 cup of the wine to the pan and stir, scraping any browned bits from the pan. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and let simmer for about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of salted water according to the package directions.

While the pasta is cooking, finish the sauce, Stir in the nutmeg, basil, cream, and remaining wine. Simmer for 10 more minutes, stirring occasionally until thickened. When the pasta is cooked and trained, top with the sauce and add grated Parmesan, if desired.

Saturday, July 23, 2011

Weekly Meal List

Yikes! It's been quite a while since I've posted. It's also been quite a while since I've actually cooked a dinner that didn't come from a can or a mac and cheese box or leftovers from takeout. Between my two summer classes and my internship, cooking has been put on the back burner. But I'm making myself take a timeout from homework each night this week to cook so I promise I'll be updating at least twice this week!

Sunday: Paprika Chicken with Potatoes
Monday: Six Can Tortilla Soup
Tuesday: Baked Shells with Pesto, Mozzarella, and Meat Sauce
Wednesday: Basil Shrimp Orzo
Thursday: Spicy Potato Soup
Friday: Enchi-Ritos
Saturday: Loaded Potatoes and Chicken Skillet

I'll also be making Cookies and Cream Cupcakes for my fellow interns and an undecided appetizer for my friends baby shower!