- Prep. Time: 5 min.
- Cook Time: 45 min.
- Yield: 2 servings
Sometimes it’s nice to have simple, comfort food for two. This is my version of a traditional Bolognese sauce for an easy, belly-warming lunch or dinner. Occasionally, I will mix the ground beef with ground turkey in a ratio of 50:50.
As with all recipes, for a top-notch taste experience, select the best quality ingredients available. Dried Calabrian chillis may be found in Mediterranean grocery shops or even in the spice aisle of large chain grocery stores, depending on where you live. This hot Italian pepper is prominent in southern Italian cuisine.
Choose aged, imported Romano and Reggiano and shred from whole blocks of cheese. Because Romano cheese is so strong in flavour and pungency that alone it overpowers, mixing with equal parts of Parmigiano Romano mellows out the blend.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 4 cloves of fresh garlic
- 1/2 pound lean ground beef
- 2 14.5-ounce diced tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon Greek oregano, crushed
- 1/2 cup dry red wine
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- pinch of Calabrian chilli flakes
- 8 ounces of dry ziti
- 1/4 cup shredded Romano cheese
- 1/4 cup shredded Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
- 6 fresh mint leaves
Procedure
- In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high. Stir in the onion and sauté until the onion is soft and transparent, about 5 minutes. Smash the garlic cloves with the flat side of your chopping knife before mincing the garlic.
- This will release all the beneficial constituents. Add the garlic to the pan and stir. Add the ground meat, stir well, and continue to cook while breaking up the meat into crumbles with a wooden spoon.
- When the meat is brown all the way through, reduce the heat to low and stir in the tomatoes, oregano (rub it in the palms of your hands over the pan to release the aromatic oils), and red wine.
- Once the alcohol from the wine has evaporated, stir in the chilli flakes, add the salt and pepper to taste, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Boil the pasta according to the packaging directions, minus 1 minute. Add 1 ladle of the pasta boiling water to the Bolognese sauce and turn off the heat.
- Strain the ziti and add it to the bolognese sauce. Gently toss to coat each noodle, cover the pan, and rest for 1 minute.
- Plate the Ziti Bolognese into individual shallow pasta bowls. Garnish with 3 mint leaves each, and sprinkle with as much of the combined shredded cheeses as possible.
- Serve immediately with a dry Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc, or a light-to-medium-bodied red varietal such as Beaujolais or a Valpolicella blend.
Ziti Bolognese is one of many dishes and plates that may be enjoyed with either white or red wines. I would not recommend sparkling or rosé wines with this dish. Enjoy!
