We are pleased to introduce Food Comics from The Chopping Block where our resident Cartoonist Tom O'Brien illustrates his cooking adventures. Here, he tackles Giada De Laurentiis' Simple Bolognese.
/Obrien_bolognese_page1.jpg?width=700&name=Obrien_bolognese_page1.jpg "Welcome back Foodies! Today, I'm going to talk about a modified version of Giada De Laurentiis' Simple Bolognese. This is another simple dish, quick to do on a week night and tasty to boot. My mom sent me this one about a year ago, thinking I would like it (and boy was she right!) and now its a regular addition to my menu's. Although it doesn't meet the traditional definition of a Bolognese, it's still worth making! To start, you'll need: 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped 2 garlic cloves, peeled and coarsely chopped 1 celery stalk, coarsely chopped 1 carrot, coarsely chopped 1 large white mushroom 1 pound ground chuck beef 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes 1/4 cup flat-leaf Italian parsley, chopped 8 fresh basil leaves, chopped 2 tablespoons of oregano Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1/4 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano")
/Obrien_bolognese_page2.jpg?width=700&name=Obrien_bolognese_page2.jpg "Start by dicing up your veggies into a corse dice and mincing up your garlic. Add the olive oil and heat up a large skillet, I use my Lodge Cast Iron Skillet, which I got at The Chopping Block. Once the skillet is hot, add the onion and carrot. These need the most softening up. They should go for about 8 minutes. Then add you celery, mushroom and garlic. Those will go for about 5 minutes. In a large pot, boil enough water to cook a pound of pasta. I like fettuccine, but most thick pastas will do well. After that, raise the heat and add your meat, cooking until browned. Feel free to replace the beef with pork or do half and half for a slightly different flavor.")
/Obrien_bolognese_page3.jpg?width=700&name=Obrien_bolognese_page3.jpg "Once it's browned, add the tomatoes and the herbs. Simmer for about half an hour, although I don't usually do for that long, until the sauce is a consistency that you like. Pour the sauce to the pasta and enjoy! I usually have plenty of left overs, which heat up nicely the next day in a fry pan. It pairs well with a nice Chianti like La Maialina. So go out and get cooking!")
Here's a link to Giada's Simple Bolognese recipe. Want to learn how to make homemade pasta? The Chopping Block's Pasta Workshop and Pasta Boot Camp (which only has 1 spot left!) will show you just how easy it is to make at home.
