Spaghetti Bolognese

It was a quiet Sunday, one of those Sundays that you just wake up whenever and stumble out of your room. I was hung over, or not, and I waddled out into the living room. Perry, my stalwart roommate, bade me good waking with the following question:

"Hey, if I get you ingredients, will you make Bolognese?"

"Uh... yeah."

"Cool."

True to his word, he got me the ingredients.


Mmm. Meatloaf mix, that wonderful combination of beef, pork, and veal. Onions and garlic, the only vegetables necessary. Fresh parsley. Looks good enough to eat. But what should I cook it in?


Oooooooooh. This big pan with butter! Of course. Browning meat in butter's the obvious choice.

The process isn't really all that exciting. You add things to the pan, one by one. The meat, then the chopped veggies. The tomato sauce. A little broth to thin it out, a little cream to tighten it up, and some fresh parsley and Parmesan to add a sharp, bright zing to it, and you've got yourself a big ol' bowl of happy.


I tell you, if you've never had a tomato sauce with a touch of cream, you're missing out. Something about that milky mouth feel spreads all over your mouth and numbs out the acidity of the tomatoes. The delicate, crumbly texture of the meat goes great with the pasta, though I probably would have preferred something that hung on to the meat bits a little better. Perhaps rotini, or shells.

Regardless, one of the most basic things you can cook yourself for dinner is a good pasta and sauce combination. Once you get the technique down, your options are damn near limitless. So go on, play with your food.