Spaghetti Bolognese

Having a good bolognese sauce is a nice departure from the usual spaghetti with red sauce that we have.  This was delicious and fairly easy to make.  I want to make a big double or triple batch next time and freeze some for easy future use!  And, I do love a meal that has a few hidden veggies built right into it! 

Spaghetti Bolognese

Recipe adapted from http://www.letsdishrecipes.blogspot.com/


1 Tbls. olive oil
4 slices bacon
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 carrots, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 pound ground beef
2 (14 oz.) cans diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 c. chopped fresh basil, plus more for garnish
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 (16 oz.) box spaghetti

Directions
Preheat olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat.  Add bacon and oregano and cook until bacon is crispy.  The bacon will naturally crumble as the sauce cooks so no need to chop it up.

Add chopped onion, carrots, celery and garlic and cook until vegetables are slightly softened, about 7 minutes. 

Stir in ground beef and cook until no longer pink.

Then stir in canned tomatoes, water, and 1/4 c. chopped fresh basil.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste.  Simmer 15-20 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. 

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Add spaghetti and cook according to package directions. 

Serve sauce over pasta; garnish with additional Parmesan cheese and fresh basil leaves.

Husband Rating:  7 out of 10

Food for Thought: Any kind of sauce like this is easy to freeze and nice to have on hand for a quick dinner.  After you cook it, simply pour into a freezer bag and freeze.  When you are ready to eat, just heat it up on the stove and cook up some noodles. 

A way to increase the hidden veggies in this would be to either add additional chopped carrots or add some pureed carrots to it.  It wouldn't change the flavor too dramatically but would pack in a hidden vitamin punch.