Servings
Font
Back
Gamush: Easy Weeknight Pasta Bolognese
0 from 0 votes

Gamush: Easy Weeknight Pasta Bolognese

Pasta bolognese - about as easy and simple as it gets - tricked out with cornichons. What? Yes, little pickles. No time to explain, just read the recipe!

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
25 mins
Total Time
35 mins
Servings: 4
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian, American

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion finely chopped (or make a mirepoix with carrot and celery; see note, medium
  • 1 pound ground beef lean, or turkey
  • 4 garlic minced (about 1 1/2 tablespoons, cloves
  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes crushed
  • 1/2 cup red wine dry
  • 28 oz crushed tomatoes (1 can)
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons cream cheese 3 makes a moderately creamy sauce, or mascarpone
  • 1/4 cup cornichons diced (about 10 small pickles)
  • kosher salt to taste, coarse kosher salt and freshly ground
  • black pepper to taste, coarse kosher salt and freshly ground
  • 3/4 pound pasta such as orecchiette or small shells, short-cut
  • Parmesan Cheese for serving
  • 1/4 cup basil lightly packed, roughly chopped, and/or parsley, fresh

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large (12-inch) skillet over medium-high heat, until shimmering. Add the onion and the ground beef and cook, separating the meat into crumbles with a spoon until the meat has started to brown and the onions are soft, about 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the garlic, tomato paste and red pepper flakes and cook for 1 more minute. Stir in the wine and scrape up any browned bits. Add the tomatoes, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and stir until combined. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer gently until thickened, about 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the mascarpone and cornichons.
  2. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil and add the pasta, and cook according to the directions on the box. When the pasta is cooked, reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water and drain well. Add the pasta to the sauce, and toss well. If sauce is too thick, stir in a couple of tablespoons of the pasta cooking water until the consistency is how you like it. Serve with a sprinkle of Parmesan, herbs and chili flakes on top.

Notes

  • This recipe works great with chopped onion as the first ingredient. However, if you want to take a little more time, you can start with a proper mirepoix. Combine the finely chopped onion with one medium carrot and one stick of celery, both also finely chopped. Cook in the olive oil until soft but uncolored, then add the beef and continue with the rest of the recipe steps.