It actually turned out to be absolutely fantastic, so I thought I'd share with all two of you who read this, in case you're looking for something new to spice up your recipe arsenal. We made three small changes to the original recipe and managed not to ruin it. It was quick and easy to prepare, taking only about 30 minutes from start to finish. Hope you enjoy:
Ingredients:
-2 tablespoons of good olive oil (plus another splash to cook the pasta)
-1 pound lean ground sirloin (we used regular ground beef)
-4 teaspoons minced garlic (or 4 fresh minced cloves)
-1 tablespoon dried oregano (I substituted a couple shakes of ground cumin)
-1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (I added more to make it a bit spicier)
-1 1/4 cups dry red wine (we used Chianti)
-1 can crushed tomatoes (we used a jar of diced tomatoes, canned by a friend)
-2 heaping tablespoons tomato paste
-salt & pepper
-1 box pasta (we used bowties, the recipe called for orecchiette)
-1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
-1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
-1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus some for serving
What to do:
Heat olive oil in a skillet and brown the beef, crumbling it well. Once most of the pink is gone, add garlic, oregano (or cumin), and red pepper flakes. Add one cup of wine and stir well. Then add the tomatoes, tomato paste, one tablespoon of salt, and 1-2 teaspoons of pepper (depending on taste). Stir until all is combined then bring to a boil. Let it simmer for 6-8 minutes, add nutmeg, cream, 1/4 cup wine (more or less....), and basil. Keep it at a bubbling simmer for another 5 minutes, then stir in grated Parmesan, pour over the pasta and stir.
Then devour! :)
