Spaghetti Bolognese reminds me of my late best friend from college, Tony Dimaso, and thanks to his mom I have a whole new perspective on the concept of ‘comfort’ food.
For as long as I’ve known Tony he went home every Monday evening to see his parents, and he never left without a week’s worth of homemade meals (all cooked and packed with love by his mom). She cooked all day so that her son had enough healthy meals for the week (weekends were naturally reserved for sushi…his other favorite!). From one mom to another I can totally respect this act of unconditional love because knowing your child is eating well gives you that feeling of comfort a mom needs.
This isn’t Mrs. Dimaso’s Spaghetti Bolognese recipe that lured Tony back home every week, but it’s the Spaghetti Bolognese recipe that I now make for my own children to lure them into eating a delicious home-cooked meal…and without a doubt it gives me comfort every time.
Rest in peace dear Tony. Love you always, Amy
Spaghetti Bolognese
Melted anchovy fillets is the secret ingredient to my perfect bolognese sauce. It doesn't give the pasta sauce a fishy taste (for sure NOT). It's cooked and melted into the hot olive oil so it does a very good job in bringing out the flavors of the tomatoes.
Ingredients
- 500g minced ground beef
- 3 tablespoons (plus more) extra virgin olive oil
- 1 white onion, finely chopped
- 6 anchovy fillets, packed in oil
- 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1 teaspoon dried red chili pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 3 cans (400g each) whole tomatoes with juice
- 1 can (400g) whole tomatoes without juice
- 3 big pinches of sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 500g (1 pound) spaghetti/linguine pasta
- 2 tablespoons fine salt
- GARNISH:
- fresh parsley, finely chopped
- fresh Parmesan, finely grated
Directions
- Step 1 Chop the onion and green bell pepper. Finely mince garlic. Set aside.
- Step 2 In a large skillet or dutch oven cook the meat on high heat. Drain the excess grease. Transfer to a plate or bowl. Set aside.
- Step 3 In the same skillet/dutch oven add 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Add chopped onions and cook until translucent. Give your anchovy fillets a rough chop and add it to the onions. Work with a wooden spoon to mash up the anchovies til they melt into the oil. (Add more olive oil at this point if your onions start to brown.) Add minced garlic and stir for about 1 minute, making sure garlic does not burn (don’t let it turn brown in color).
- Step 4 Add dried red chili flakes (if using) and stir to combine.
- Step 5 Add chopped green bell pepper. Cook for about 1-2 minutes until just softened. Add back the cooked meat. Stir to combine and cook for about 2 minutes.
- Step 6 Add tomatoes. Mash up the whole tomato pieces (very gently) with your wooden spoon or a potato masher if you have one. Add salt, black pepper, dried oregano, dried basil and balsamic vinegar. Stir. Bring to a boil. Once boiling turn down heat to low and let simmer for at least an hour for the flavors to blend. Season with salt if needed.
- Step 7 When the sauce is almost ready bring a pot of water (enough to cook the pasta) to a boil. Add 2 tablespoons of salt. Once boiling add in pasta. Cook to al dente (the pasta will be cooked further in the sauce later). Drain. Add all the pasta to the sauce. Mix well with tongs. Test pasta for readiness.
- Step 8 Serve on individual plates/bowls. Garnish with freshly grated Parmesan and freshly cut parsley. Serve immediately.