Forget Tomatoes, This Is What Your Pasta Wants

During these cold winter days, a hearty meal like pasta with meat sauce is a no-brainer: a rich, stewed sauce on a bed of carbs can only make life better when the temperature drops. Your typical, American-style spaghetti sauce tends to lean on tomatoes for flavor, but why not try a more authentic and elevated option with James Beard’s recipe for ragù Bolognese?

Named for the Bologna region of Italy from whence it came, this dish dates back centuries and is one of the most famous recipes hailing from a country known for its scrumptious cuisine. As per tradition, our namesake eschews raw tomatoes, layering the sauce with nutmeg and three types of meat. Beard offers two methods for the dish: one of which yields some extra bacon fat for subsequent recipes (Waste Not!) and requires only one pot. Lean ground beef and chicken livers make this sauce rich, decadent and, of course, plenty meaty. Grab your favorite pasta, a bottle of wine, and hunker down for a cozy night in with this recipe that will stick to your ribs and warm you up.

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Erin Silva is media intern at the Beard Foundation. Find her on Instagram.