I love spaghetti. Usually when I make it, I use a pretty basic red sauce. Something like this Zesty Red that I wrote about awhile back. But, when I go out to Italian restaurants, I love to order a good bolognese. It turns out that a bolognese is simply a red sauce with carrot and celery in the base. And onion, which I think is interesting since carrot, celery, onion, is the holy trinity base for most Creole food.

Anyways, this is another recipe from Giada’s book, Everyday Italian. I’m two recipes into it this week, and I think that I’ll have to start using this cookbook more. The recipes are simple and easy to follow and the food is yummy. Now, in my opinion, this bolognese sauce is a very nice base sauce, but could do with some extra spice. When I make it again, I will probably add 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, or some other heat to kick it up a notch. If you follow the directions exactly, it makes a very nice sauce, but I suggest you taste as you go and alter it to your preferences. I think the addition of the red pepper and some oregano would make it extra special.

If you have any leftover spaghetti, you could use it to make this other recipe from this same cookbook, Pizza di Spaghetti, which I experimented with a few years ago. Or you could just eat it. Having leftover spaghetti in my fridge is one of my favorite things.

Simple Bolognese

From Everyday Italian, by Giada de Laurentiis

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 medium onion, minced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 celery stalk, minced
• 1 carrot, peeled and minced
• 1 pound ground beef chuck
• 1 28oz can crushed tomatoes
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 8 fresh basil leaves, chopped
• 1/2 tsp salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 tsp fresh pepper, plus more to taste
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
• 1/2 lb dried spaghetti, or pasta of choice

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until the onion is very tender. Add the carrot and celery and sauté for 5 minutes. Increase the heat to high, add the ground beef, and sauté until the beef is no longer pink, breaking up any large lumps, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes, basil, parsley, and salt and pepper. Cook over medium-low heat until the sauce thickens, about 30 minutes.

Boil water and cook pasta to package directions.

Stir cheese into sauce and salt and pepper to taste. Mix with pasta and eat!

Enjoy!

Photographs by Jessica Yager