Weeknight Bolognese - From Maggie

This recipe is from Ins Garten's cookbook How Easy is That?.  Andrew loves bolognese sauce and we thought this one was a little different.  It was really easy and took very little time.  Katie - I think this would be a good one for you guys.  (Starting in February of course.)  :-)   The recipe says it serves 4-5, but if you look at the picture below, it seems like it made a bit more.  We have been trying to make our portion sizes a little smaller though.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound lean ground sirloin
4 teaspoons minced garlic (4 cloves)
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 1/4 cups dry red wine, divided
1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes (preferably San Marzano)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
1/4 pound dried pasta (shells)
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves, freshly packed
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

* I only used 1 cup of the wine.  The other 1/4 cup was to go in at the end of the cooking process.  Since Andrew is allergic, I didn't want to take the chance that it wouldn't cook out all the way. 

** I substituted whole wheat spaghetti for the shells.  We happened to have an open box of pasta. 

*** Lastly, as I tend to always forget one of the ingredients, I did not have any basil.  I shook in a little Italian seasoning though just for a little extra flavor.

1.  You start by heating 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large 12 inch skillet over medium high heat.  Add the ground sirloin and cook, crumbling the meat with a wooden spoon, for 5-7 minutes, until the meat has lost its pink color and has started to brown.  Stir in the garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes and cook for 1 more minute.  Pour 1 cup of wine into the skillet and stir to scrape up any browned bits.  Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper, stirring until combined.  Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil, add a tablespoon of salt, a splash of oil, and the pasta, and cook according to the directions on the box.

While the pasta cooks, finish the sauce.  Add the nutmeg, basil, cream, and remaining 1/4 cup wine to the sauce and simmer for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally until thickened.  When the pasta is cooked, drain and pour into a large serving bowl.  Add the sauce and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese and toss well.  Serve hot with Parmesan on the side. 

Andrew's response:  "This is better than the other Bolognese you made.  You can actually see the meat more."

He really liked it though.  He said he could taste the wine, but not in a bad way.   He really liked the flavor it added.  For someone who doesn't drink it, he picks up on it pretty well!