Spicy Bolognese

  Last night was a total sausage fest.

  What we mean by that is, of course, we made a bolognese with seasoned ground pork. This recipe is easy enough, but please note this recipe is a lesson in patience (the more time you let this sauce go over a low and slow heat, the better!). You can sub out the pork for beef, veal, chicken, turkey or all of the above if you're feeling GAME.  See what we did there?

Ingredients:

- 1 lb ground pork

-1 can peeled tomatoes

-1 can tomato paste

-1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

-1/2 cup red wine

-1 handful fresh basil, torn into bite size pieces

-3 cloves garlic, minced

-1/2 cup freshly grated parmiggiano 

-s&p to taste

-extra virgin olive oil, dummy

-a thick cut of (fresh, if you can swing it) pasta (we used papardelle here)

Method:

1. Coat the bottom of a thick-bottomed sauce pan or dutch oven with olive oil. over high heat, sear sausage, breaking up into small pieces with a wooden spoon. Season to taste.

2. Once sausage has browned slightly, deglaze the pan with red wine. Once alcohol has cooked out, lower heat to medium high. Season to taste.

3. Add peeled tomatoes, tomato paste and garlic. Stir to incorporate thoroughly. Leave uncovered until sauce starts to bubble. Reduce heat to LOW. Season to taste.

4. Cover the pot, but leave some room for water to escape.

5. Check every 15-20 minutes, stirring constantly and seasoning to taste. Don't forget to add some of your basil, and leave some for later. 

6. Separately, bring large pot of water to a boil. Drop you pasta and cook until desired tenderness. Save 1/4 cup pasta water to add to sauce; this helps the sauce stick to the pasta and makes the sauce smoother. True story. Incorporate parm into the sauce as well, to increase creamy sharpness. 

7. Toss pasta in the sauce. Garnish with more cheese and basil. Serve immediately.