Pasta Bolognese
This rich red sauce combines ground beef, carrots, celery, onion, and tomatoes with a touch of milk for added creaminess. This sauce is slow simmered and delicious served over any favorite pasta.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 carrot (scrubbed and diced into 1/4-inch pieces)
- 1 celery stalk (chopped into 1/4-inch pieces)
- 1 yellow onion (peeled and chopped into 1/4 inch pieces)
- 3/4 pound lean ground beef (80-85% lean)
- 1 cup water
- 2 cans 14.5-ounce low-sodium crushed or diced tomatoes (including liquid)
- 1/4 cup low-sodium tomato paste
- 1 cup 2% milk
- 8 ounces whole wheat pasta
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
Bolognese Sauce:
- Put skillet on the stove over medium heat and when it is hot, add oil.
- Add carrot, celery, and onion and cook about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to brown.
- Raise the heat to high. Pinch off tablespoon-sized pieces of the beef and add a few at a time, stirring well between additions. Cook, breaking the meat apart until it is no longer raw, starts to give off liquid, and no longer clumps together, about 10 minutes.
- Add the water, tomatoes, and tomato paste, stirring well. Cook about 10 minutes until the sauce begins to thicken.
- Slowly stir in the milk, a little bit at a time. Turn the heat down to low and cook 45 minutes until all the liquid has been absorbed.
Pasta:
- Fill a large pot halfway with water. Bring it to a boil over high heat.
- Add the pasta and about 12 minutes cook until just tender.
- Drain the pasta and divide into 4 bowls.
- Top each bowl with about 3/4 cup Bolognese and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese.
- Serve right away.
Notes
USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion