Homemade Pasta Bolognese – Quick and Easy

By: Jodie Shield, RD

Some of you were wondering where I get my inspiration for recipes.  Great question!  One of my all time favorites is the Barefoot Contessa. I love how she uses fresh ingredients and admire her passion for sharing meals with others.  But the dietitian in me just can’t justify the decadent amount of butter, oil and cream she uses in many of her recipes.  So, I have learned how to tweak them to be healthier and still deliver on flavor.

My family loves my Homemade Pasta Bolognese, which is a lightened up version of  the Barefoot Contessa’s Weeknight Bolognese.  Here are some of the changes I made:

• I reduced the serving size – they were way to generous!
• Cut the fat and saturated fat content of the recipe in half by: draining the beef after browning, reducing the olive oil, using low-fat buttermilk instead of heavy cream, and reducing the amount of Parmesan Cheese.
• Trimmed 75 calories by reducing the fat.
• Increased the the dietary fiber by using whole grain pasta.

Hope you enjoy my Homemade Pasta Bolognese.  It’s quick and easy to make, especially on weeknights when you’re short on time.  You can also try my recipe for Cheesy Stuffed Shells and use the bolognese sauce in place of the pasta sauce.  And if you’re really curious, make my bolognese recipe and the Barefoot Contessa’s original recipe.  Which do you prefer?

Homemade Pasta Bolognese

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 pound lean ground sirloin
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 6 cloves fresh garlic, crushed
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 1/4 cups dry red wine, divided use
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes (she recommends San Marzano)
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3/4  pound whole grain dried pasta (click here for tips on cooking perfect pasta)
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped fresh basil
• 1/4 cup low fat buttermilk (fat free works too)
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Directions:

1. Heat a large (12-inch) nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the ground sirloin and cook, crumbling the meat with a wooden spoon until the beef has lost its pink color and started to brown, about 5 to 10 minutes. Drain the fat from the skillet and return the pan to the stove.
2. Add the olive oil to the beef along with the garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes and cook for about 2 to 3 more minutes.
3. Pour 1 cup of the wine into the skillet and stir to scrape up any browned bits.  Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, salt and pepper (if you desire) and stir until everything is well combined.  Bring the mixture to a boil, lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add the salt and pasta and cook according to the package directions. Drain and reserve some pasta water to toss with cooked pasta.
5. While the pasta is cooking, finish the bolognese sauce.  Add the nutmeg, basil, buttermilk, and the remaining wine to the sauce and simmer uncovered for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. Toss the cooked pasta with a splash of the pasta water and top with bolognese sauce and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.

Nutrition Information per serving: 380 calories, 26 g protein, 53 grams carbohydrate, 10 grams dietary fiber, 8 grams fat, 3 grams saturated fat, 45 milligrams cholesterol, 445 milligrams sodium