Spaghetti Bolognese

🧂 Ingredients

• 1 ½ tablespoon olive oil

  (extra virgin)
• 2 teaspoon garlic

  (minced)
• 1 large onion

  (white or yellow onion, finely diced)
• 1 large carrot

  (washed and grated)
• 2 ribs celery

  (finely diced)
• 1 lb ground beef

  (or a combo of half ground beef & half ground pork)
• ½ cup dry red wine

  (I like cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir, and malbec)
• 2 beef bouillon cubes

  (or 2 teaspoons Better Than Bouillon beef base)
• 28 oz crushed tomatoes
• 2 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 large bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• each, salt & pepper

  (to taste)
• 12 oz spaghetti pasta

  (dried)

Instructions

• 1 Heat a deep skillet, pot, or Dutch oven with the olive oil over medium-high heat
  until the oil begins to shimmer. Add the minced garlic, diced onion, grated
  carrot, and finely diced celery (sofrito!) and saute for 3 minutes or until
  softened and fragrant.
• 2 Add the ground beef (or ground pork combo) to the skillet and brown. Break up
  the ground meat as you cook it until it is fully cooked, about 6 minutes.
• 3 Once the beef has been browned add the red wine to deglaze the pan and bring it
  to a simmer. Cook for 1 minute as you scrape the bottom of the pot clean of any
  debris. *The alcohol smell should be cooked off by this time.
• 4 Add most of the remaining ingredients (beef bouillon cubes or Better Than
  Bouillon, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaves,
  thyme, and oregano).
• 5 Stir to mix and bring the pot back to a simmer. Reduce to medium-low and simmer
  for 20-30 minutes without a lid. Watch the sauce and add water as needed while
  simmering.
• 6 Adjust seasoning after the cooking time has elapsed and all of the flavors have
  had time to 'marry'.
• 7 Cook the pasta when your sauce is almost ready to serve. Boil the pasta in
  salted water according to the package instructions, minus approximately 1-2
  minutes for an al dente texture. Drain the pasta, reserving about ½ cup of the
  pasta water. Set aside.
• 8 Serve bolognese sauce tossed with pasta and pasta water, or over pasta, and
  topped with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Nutrition Info