Some 100 iconic dishes are reinvented in renowned food writer Mark Bittman’s new cookbook, “Dinner for Everyone” (Clarkson Potter, $40), with a trio of recipes — easy, vegan and “perfect for company” — for each. All the culinary stars get the treatment, from gumbo and chowder to fried rice.
In the case of Pasta Bolognese, Bittman offers us three takes, including a vegan-friendly Rigatoni with Ratatouille Bolognese, an everything-from-scratch Fresh Pappardelle with Bolognese and this oh-so-easy Pasta with Use-Whatever-You’ve-Got Bolognese. Here’s how it’s done.
Mark Bittman’s Pasta Use-What-You’ve-Got Bolognese
Serves 4
Ingredients:
Salt
2 tablespoons olive oil, or more as needed
1 pound ground beef or other ground meat
1 onion, chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
Pepper
1 teaspoon dried herbs, like oregano, thyme or marjoram
1 teaspoon spices, like fennel seeds, ground coriander or celery seeds
¼ cup tomato paste
1 cup dry red wine or water
½ cup milk or heavy cream
1 pound any pasta
1 cup grated parmesan or pecorino cheese (about 4 ounces), divided
Directions:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. Put the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat with the beef, onion and garlic and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently and breaking the meat up until it’s browned and the vegetables are soft, 5 to 10 minutes.
Add the herbs, spices and tomato paste and stir until fragrant and the tomato paste has caramelized, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the wine, raise the heat a bit, and cook, stirring occasionally and scraping any browned bits off the bottom. Add the milk and adjust the heat so the sauce bubbles gently; cook until thickened, 5 to 10 minutes. Cover and keep warm.
Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, then start tasting. When the pasta is tender but still has some bite, scoop out 2 cups cooking water, then drain the pasta. Immediately add the pasta and ½ cup cheese to the skillet and toss to coat; if it’s too dry, add enough of the reserved cooking water to coat the noodles in sauce. Taste and adjust the seasoning, toss again and serve, passing the remaining cheese at the table.
Reprinted from Dinner For Everyone. Copyright © 2019 by Mark Bittman. Photographs copyright © 2019 by Aya Brackett. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Penguin Random House, LLC.