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
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.
While the meat is simmering, cook pasta according to manufacturer's directions.
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/