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Pasta with Fast Bolognese

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Makes 4 to 6 servings 1x

Time about 40 minutes

Units Scale

Ingredients

  • Salt
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 pound ground beef, pork, or chicken or a combination
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 1 carrot, finely chopped
  • 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • Pepper
  • 1/4 cup tomato paste
  • 1/2 cup white or red wine
  • 1/4 cup cream
  • 1 pound spaghetti (or any dried pasta of your choice)
  • 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Bring a stockpot of water to a boil and salt it. Put the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

2. When the oil is hot, add the ground meat and cook, stirring occasionally and breaking it apart with a spoon until it’s brown and crisp, about 10 minutes. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften slightly, 2 or 3 minutes.

3. When the meat is browned, add the tomato paste and cook, stirring until it darkens slightly, about a minute. Add the wine and scrape any browned bits off the bottom of the skillet. Let the wine bubble away until it reduces by about half; stir in the cup cream and turn the heat as low as it will go.

4. When the water boils, add the pasta and stir occasionally. Start tasting after 5 minutes.

5. When the pasta is tender but not mushy, drain it, reserving some cooking water. Add the pasta to the skillet and turn the heat to medium-high. Add half of the Parmesan and a splash of the cooking water if you want to make it saucier. Toss, taste and adjust the seasoning, and serve with the remaining cheese on top.

— Recipe adapted from How to Cook Everything Fast: Completely Revised and Updated