Ask yourself this...

...are you ready for a throw down?!?

At our annual Christmas celebration at The Fort, my friend Gwen and I realized we each have a bolognese recipe we love. Within  minutes, Brian had organized a throw down that Bobby Flay himself would have been proud of and last week we put our recipes to the test.

Gwen's recipe comes from Carmine's Family Style Cookbook, from the famous restaurant in New York. Mine is a compilation of recipes I've found online and on the Food Network.

I thought that Gwen's sauce was excellent, and our judges agreed....she won the first of what I hope are many friendly and delicious throw downs!! Next up, she and Jay will challenge Russ and Hil...can't wait to see what they come up with!

So, it's not a truly winning recipe, but it's pretty scrumptious. Here's my take on a (slightly less) traditional bolognese sauce!

Jen's Bolognese

1 T extra virgin olive oil
8 oz. pancetta, diced
1 large onion
2 large carrots
3 celery ribs
4 cloves garlic
8 oz. baby bella mushrooms
1 t salt
1/2 t black pepper
2 bay leaves
1/2 t dried thyme
1/4 t dried oregano
1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 t nutmeg
2 lb meatloaf mix (ground beef, veal, and pork)
2 T tomato paste
1 C red wine
2 (14 1/2 oz) can crushed tomatoes and their juice
1 (14 1/2 oz) can tomato sauce
1 C beef broth
2 t sugar
1/4 C heavy cream
2 T butter
3 T chopped parsley
1 lb pasta
1 C freshly grated Parmesan

1. In a food processor, puree vegetables in batches into a course paste.
2. In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until brown and fat is rendered, 4 - 5 minutes.
3. Add the vegetables and season with salt and pepper.
4. Bring the pan to a medium high heat and cook until the water evaporates and they become nice and brown, stirring frequently. This will take any where from 20 - 30 minutes or more, depending on how much water are in the vegetables.
5. Add the seasonings and stir for 30 seconds.
6. Add the tomato paste, stir and cook until brown, about 2 minutes.
7. Add the ground meat and brown; again this will take anywhere from 20 - 30 minutes.
8. Add the wine and cook, stirring to deglaze the pan and remove any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, and until half the liquid is evaporated, about 2 minutes.
9. Add the tomatoes and their juices, the tomato sauce, beef broth, and sugar, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer, stirring occasionally to keep the sauce from sticking, until the sauce is thickened and flavorful, about 1 1/2 - 2 hours.
10. Add the cream, butter, and parsley; stir well. Simmer for two minutes. Discard the bay leaves and adjust the seasoning, to taste.
11. Toss cooked pasta with a few ladles full of sauce, ladle more on top, and serve with cheese.

Now, mark your calendar for January 4, 2012. We may have missed National Spaghetti Day 2010, but there's always next year. And, what better way to celebrate than with a big, steaming bowl of spaghetti bolognese?!

Mangia!