I had so much fun with last month's Moms Crazy Cooking Challenge food blogging event that I decided to participate again for March. This time around, the theme is 'spaghetti with red sauce' so this Creamy Bolognese was a perfect sauce to pair with spaghetti.
Mistakes aren’t all bad. In fact, good things can come out of mistakes!
When I set out to make this Bolognese sauce, I substituted half and half for
the milk called for in the original recipe. And in the process of my
substitution, I used a little too much by accident. The sauce is a bit time
consuming in that the recipe involves adding liquids at separate stages and
allowing them to cook down. First, it’s the milk (or in my case, half and
half) that’s cooked down almost completely… then it’s sweet
white wine that’s cooked until evaporated. Finally, the tomatoes and its
juices are added before simmering for hours. When I first added the half &
half, I didn’t exactly cook it down as much as I could have so as a
result, the sauce had a creaminess and lighter color. After simmering, the use
of half & half made for a rich sauce. I made a double batch and used some
for a lasagna and the rest to serve on top of spaghetti. This Creamy Bolognese
is a nice variation on the traditional!
Creamy Bolognese over Spaghetti
recipe adapted from The Way the Cookie Crumbles
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium onion, minced
1 medium carrot, minced
1 stalk celery, minced
3/4 pound ground beef chuck
3/4 pound ground pork
1/2 teaspoon salt + more to taste
2 cups half & half
1 1/2 cup dry white (sweet) wine (I used Vognier)
2 (28 ounce) can whole tomatoes, packed in juice, chopped fine, with juice reserved
3 tablespoons tomato paste
Heat butter in large, heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium heat, until it begins to foam. Add onion, carrot, and celery and sautè until softened but not browned.
Add ground beef and pork, crumbling it in and add ½ teaspoon salt. Cook while breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon. Continue cooking the meet until it loses its raw color but not browned.
Add half & half and bring to simmer; continue to simmer until milk reduces down to 1/4 - 1/2 cup, which takes about 25-30 minutes.
Next, add wine and bring to simmer; continue to simmer until wine evaporates, which takes about 25-30 minutes.
Transfer the sauce to a slow cooker; add tomatoes along with reserved juices and tomato paste. Cover and cook on high for 4-6 hours or on low for 6-8 hours.
Adjust seasonings and add taste to taste. Serve over your favorite pasta or use in other pasta dishes.
The sauce freezes well and the recipe can easily be halved.
Please check out all these amazing spaghetti & red sauce recipes made by all the food bloggers participating in 'Moms Crazy Cooking Challenge' this month! Don't forget to click on your favorite looking dish and cast your vote!
This sauce looks amazing! I just love the color. I've never made Bolognese before. But, looking at this sauce makes me think it's about time I start! Yum. :D
ReplyDeleteI love the sound of this. Any sauce recipe with pork sausage is a winner in my book! Now, to just make it a touch healthier...hmmm!
ReplyDeleteMmmmm...I love when a mistake makes something delicious. That's how the best recipes are born. Your sauce looks yummy.
ReplyDeleteWine and spaghetti seems like they are made for each other. I may have to add some to my next spaghetti sauce. Please check out my spaghetti post (#3).
ReplyDeleteAdding more dairy is probably the only way you could make something as wonderful as bolognese even better!
ReplyDeleteSounds pretty tasty!
ReplyDelete#29
What an incredible idea to use cream in the sauce! Sometimes accidents are the best thing to happen in cooking. Your dish looks lovely
ReplyDeleteThat looks delicious! I am #77. Come visit me on my website and see my delicious Spaghetti Pie!
ReplyDeleteI was impatient when I cooked my bolognese, too, and couldn't wait for all the milk to cook down. My entry's #44 if you want to compare recipes.
ReplyDeleteLook delish..........andi
ReplyDeleteYum! I would definitely serve this up. Coming over from the Crazy Cooking Challenge to visit you.
ReplyDeleteYour sauce sounds wonderfully rich and creamy and I've found that the butter in the sauce adds so much...and I'm sure the cream does too.
ReplyDeleteIf you haven't already, I'd love for you to check out my CCC entry: Tomato Sauce with Onion & Butter.
Lisa~~
Cook Lisa Cook
Your bolognese looks great--I don't think the addition of the half-and-half was a mistake at all! =) Found you through the Challenge--I'm at #23!
ReplyDeleteMmm that looks so good!
ReplyDeleteJen #19
Very yummy. I like a nice creamy sauce.
ReplyDeleteYum! The half and half probably bumps this up to unimaginable tastes!
ReplyDelete#47
Mmmm, let's see... butter, half-and-half, pork, beef, wine,....what could possibly go wrong with this recipe!?!?!?! I may even drink some of the wine whilst it is in the solar oven! Thanks for sharing. Can't wait to try it over the next year and a half. I'm #28. Come visit when you can.
ReplyDeleteLooking really nice.
ReplyDeleteVisiting from ccc #65
With half and half, I can just imagine how rich and yummy this sauce was. :)
ReplyDeleteI am on the hunt for a perfect bolognese, so I will try this one too! And I love creamy!
ReplyDeleteThis sauce looks like some yummy goodness. I just might have to make this soon!
ReplyDeleteWende
The Rickett Chronicles
YUM!!!!
ReplyDeleteI was #7 Have a Happy Friday :)
Looks and sounds delicious.
ReplyDeleteI would never have thought of putting half an half in bolognese but you make it sound so yummy I'll have to try! Nice work!
ReplyDeleteTina decided my dish didn't fit the challenge requirements so she excluded me from the linky party. Take a look and see what you think!
http://jennyskitchenmishmash.blogspot.com
It's not a mistake...it means you are creative! Looks really tasty!
ReplyDelete#46
Your bolognese sauce sounds good. I found brown rice spaghetti here in Thailand and that's what I use for my gluten-free pasta dishes.
ReplyDelete