Weeknight Bolognese
 
 
Ingredients
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • 4 teaspoons minced garlic (about 4 cloves)
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (this gives your dish some extra flavor, but not a lot of heat--up it if you want it hotter)
  • 1¼ cups dry red wine, divided
  • 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 16 ounce small pasta shells
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¼ chopped fresh basil leaves, lightly packed
  • ¼ cup half-and-half (I used fat-free)
  • ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
Method
  1. Heat olive oil in a large pan and add ground beef. Cook until the beef has started to brown, about 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes and cook one more minute. Pour 1 cup of red wine into the skillet and use it to scrape up any brown bits. Add tomatoes, paste, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1½ teaspoons pepper, stirring to combine. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer for 10 minutes.
  2. While the meat is simmering, cook pasta according to manufacturer's directions.
  3. While the pasta cooks, finish the sauce. Add the nutmeg, basil, half-and-half, and remaining ¼ cup wine to the sauce and simmer for 10 minutes, or until thickened. When the pasta is cooked, drain and add shells to the sauce. Toss with ½ cup Parmesan cheese.
Recipe by Kitchen Meets Girl at https://kitchenmeetsgirl.com/weeknight-bolognese/