I love spaghetti. It’s a love affair that began so very long ago, with my mom’s spaghetti. My mom’s always varied dependent upon what all she had on hand to toss in…sometimes there were mushrooms and olives (if she had her way), and sometimes it was freshly canned stewed tomatoes and ground beef with spices and herbs. It really didn’t matter to me what she had in there, I was always absolutely PUMPED that it was spaghetti night. I didn’t even care that she always made enough for a small army, which meant leftovers—and sketti sandos. Good ol’ Poulsbo bread, buttered and folded around a WAD of cold sketti and sauce and scarfed down as an afterschool snack or “do it yourself dinner”. DIVINE. The very epitome of culinary delight to the 10 year old me.
When my husband and I first moved in together, he did NOT share my love of spaghetti. You see, it was the other side of the coin for a spaghetti lover of my level….his dad LOVES spaghetti and he got burned out on it. Like scorched Earth. I made it my mission to get him to love spaghetti so that I could have it. (Self serving, but necessary.) As a completely shameless carnivore, my husband often bemoaned having to eat veggies of all kinds, but I knew he LOVED his meat. That was my in. I made him the meatiest bolognese I could craft, and he DEVOURED it. Nevermind it was packed with veggies, he still absolutely fell in love with it in all incarnations, just like me! This bolognese is loaded with spicy Italian pork sausage, ground chuck, veggies, Italian herbs, and crushed tomatoes, then tossed with creamy ricotta and spaghetti noods…..baked off until GOOEY and golden brown, and then it gets draped in another ladleful of bolognese. Comfort food and a love story, at it’s cheesiest!
Ingredients:
1 lb. ground chuck
1 lb. Spicy Italian Sausage
1/2 c. diced Pepperonis—yes. Do it. Ghetto but GOOOOOOD.
1 small onion, diced
garlic…..MEASURE THAT SHIT WITH YOUR HEART, YO….(Or like 5 cloves), smashed
2 stalks celery, diced
1 large carrot, diced
1/2 red and green bell pepper, diced
1/2 bulb fennel, diced
1 large bunch fresh basil
3 sprigs fresh thyme
3 sprigs fresh oregano, leaves removed from stem
1 c. red wine
3 TBSP tomato paste
1 lg can San Marzano or good quality stewed whole tomatoes, crushed with back of spoon
pint of good ricotta cheese
3 c. shredded Mozzarella
1/2 c. grated Parmesan
Salt and Pepper to taste
Method:
Step 1—In large stock pot, cook spaghetti until al dente. Strain and allow to cool and place into fridge. Over medium high heat, brown Italian Sausage and Ground Chuck. Once browned, remove from pot with slotted spoon.
Step 2—Over medium heat, add in all veggies. Cook in drippings until onions start to get transparent, stirring often. Add tomato paste and stir until well incorporated, then thyme, oregano, and diced pepperonis. Deglaze with red wine and allow to cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Step 3—Stir in crushed Marzanos, stir well and add basil.
Step 4—Either place lid on stock pot and simmer for AT LEAST 6 hours, OR put it into your crock pot on low and leave it alone all day. Season to taste.
Step 5—An hour prior to setting the table, mix cooked spaghetti, 1.5-ish c. of your bolognese, ricotta, Parmesan, and 1 c. of Mozzarella well in large bowl.
Step 6—Preheat oven to 350. Lightly oil a Springform pan, and spread in half the pasta mixture, then bolognese, and a layer of Mozzarella. Repeat. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes, or until top is melty, gooey, golden brown and delicious.
Serve with a ladleful of bolognese, fresh basil, and Parm.
WARNING: THIS IS BOOYATASTIC. YOU’VE BEEN WARNED!