Roasted Red Pepper Rigatoni Bolognese
May 23, 2022
I love a good bolognese. This sauce takes time but it doesn’t take a lot of effort. A little love and patience is all you need to execute this warm, comforting Italian classic. I did put my own little spin on the traditional red sauce by adding roasted red peppers for some extra sweetness and complexity as I do think some bolognese’s can fall a little flat by depending so heavily of the beef for texture and flavor.
serves 4
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp EVOO
- 3 shallots, roughly chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced
- 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
- 8 garlic cloves minced
- 1 lb ground beef
- 3 links of spicy Italian sausage
- 2 tbsp dried oregano
- 6-8 fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
- crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
- 1 (12 or 16 ounce) jar roasted red peppers, drained
- 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
- 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 lb rigatoni pasta
- freshly ground salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Heat EVOO in a medium size dutch oven on medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add the shallots and bell peppers. Sautee with stirring occasionally, until the shallots are soft, about 5 mins. Add the garlic, beef, sausage, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Brown the meat while breaking it up into small pieces with a wooden spoon.
- In a food processor, blend the roasted red peppers with the tomato paste until smooth. Add the red pepper puree, rosemary sprigs, and 2 cups of water to the pot. Stir and reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and allow to cook, stirring occasionally, for about 2 hours.
- Discard the rosemary and stir in the parmesan and reduce heat to low. If the sauce is too thick, add water and stir. If it is too thin, cook for about 30 minutes more over medium heat, uncovered to thicken.
- Cook the pasta al dente according to package directions.
- Add the drained pasta to the sauce and toss well but gently. Serve hot topped with extra parmesan and fresh basil leaves.
Bellissimo!
With love,
Ashley Jo
