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Beans “Bolognese”

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Makes 4 servings 1x

Time about 2 hours, mostly unattended

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Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 carrots, chopped
  • 2 celery stalks, chopped
  • 1/4 cup chopped bacon or pancetta, optional
  • 8 ounces lean ground beef, or (ideally) 4 ounces lean ground beef plus 4 ounces lean ground pork or veal
  • 3/4 cup red wine
  • One 28– or 35-ounce can whole Roma (plum) tomatoes, drained, liquid reserved
  • 1 1/2 cups dried pinto, cranberry, or other pink or red beans, rinsed, picked over, and soaked if you like
  • Salt and black pepper
  • 1/4 cup cream, half-and-half, or milk, optional

Instructions

  1. Put the oil in a large, deep skillet or saucepan over medium heat. When it’s hot, add the onion, carrots, celery, and bacon if you’re using it. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender and the bacon begins to render some fat, 5 to 10 minutes.
  2. Add the ground meat and cook, stirring and breaking up any clumps, until no longer pink, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the wine, raise the heat a bit, and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid bubbles away, just a minute or 2.
  3. Core the tomatoes if you like, crush them a little with a fork or your hands; then add them and the reserved liquid to the pot, and stir. Add the beans and enough water to cover them by 2 inches. Bring to a boil, then ad- just the heat so the mixture bubbles gently. Cover and cook, stirring once in a while to break up the tomatoes and any clumps of meat that remain. The beans will begin to get tender in 30 to 60 minutes or more, depending on the beans and whether or not you soaked them. Once they do, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally and adding water if necessary, until the beans are quite tender, another 15 to 30 minutes. (At this point, you can refrigerate it for a day or 2 or freeze for several weeks. Reheat before proceeding.)
  4. Add the cream if you’re using it and cook for another 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve.

– Recipe from The Food Matters Cookbook