Spaghetti Bolognese

I love Spaghetti Bolognese. It's the menu item I order at any new Italian restaurant to "gage" how good the restaurant is. 

I have a recipe I've used for years. It's modified, slightly, from Tyler Florence's Ultimate Bolognese. I only use ground beef in mine and rarely remember to put red wine in. Still, I love my recipe and make it a couple times a year. 

This recipe seemed the closest to my recipe so I thought I'd give it a try. I had a couple of issues with it. 

First, it had a very metallic, tomato flavor to it. Too tomato-y. I tried to counter it with sugar and brown sugar (even though I already added their brown sugar she recommends).  I was using sugar substitute and brown sugar substitute (low carb) and I wondered if that made a difference. 

Secondly, I'm not a fan of Italian sausage in Bolognese. Truthfully, I'm not a huge fan of Italian sausage at all. Small quantities and I'm fine. I think it gave it a nice enough flavor, but I could still taste it. 

Finally, the bacon threw me off. I've never had a Bolognese where bacon is used. It does give it a smokey flavor, but that's not what I'm looking for in Bolognese. I'll keep my bacon in my carbonara thankyouverymuch.

Oh, and this recipe doesn't have any cream in it. Bolognese recipes that I love have heavy cream, half and half, or ricotta added to them. 

Overall, this recipe was "ok". Not worth changing my recipe. If you don't have a favorite Bolognese recipe this one would be fine. 

Spaghetti Bolognese

Recipe from Butter Your Biscuit

Serves 6 

• 6 slices smoky bacon, diced
• 1 medium onion diced
• 2 carrots finely diced
• 2 celery stalks finely diced
• 6 garlic cloves minced
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/2 pound ground Italian sausage
• 2- 28 oz tomato sauce
• 1- 14 ounce can diced tomatoes
• 3 beef bouillon cubes
• 3 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 1-2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 3 T brown sugar *see notes
• 2 large Bay Leaves
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• salt and pepper to taste
• Parmesan cheese
• Fresh Basil

Heat a large pot on medium high heat and add bacon, cook just until crispy. remove and set aside. Remove all but 1 tablespoon of bacon fat.

Add onions, carrots and celery and cook just until tender about 5 minutes.

Add in ground beef, sausage and garlic and cook until browned. Drain the fat if needed.

Add in the rest of the ingredients except and bring to a boil, cover then reduce heat and simmer 2 hours

Cook pasta according to the package directions.

Add the spaghetti to the Bolognese sauce and toss until well coated. Serve and top with Parmesan cheese and fresh basil.