Delicious and hearty bolognese

Some of you might know that Bry and I try to follow a paleo diet Monday through Friday. But last week was a little exception, as you can see by the photo. We threw caution to the wind and decided to inject a full-blown dose of gluten poison into our systems. Actually, my sister and her boyfriend were stopping by Philly for a mid-week visit and I needed to cook something quick and easy for them, so this is what I came up with. It was so delicious and hearty and oh my, how I miss pasta in my life. 

Bolognese Sauce
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 1 - 2 hours

4-6 strips of thick cut bacon, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 large onion, diced
1/2 cup carrots, diced 
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 lb ground beef (or any combo of beef/pork/turkey)
1 cup red wine
1 cup vegetable broth
2 28-ounce cans of San Marzano whole peeled tomatoes
1 tablespoon dried basil
1/2 tablespoon dried oregano
1/2 tablespoon fresh ground pepper
1 tsp salt, plus more for adjustments

Instructions:

Cook bacon in large sauce pan until brown and crisp. Drain bacon on a paper towel. Leave 1 tablespoon of drippings in the pan and drain the rest. 

Add olive oil to pan with bacon fat and heat pan to medium. 

Saute the onion and carrots for about 5 minutes until the onion starts to look translucent.

Add the garlic and stir for about 1 minute, careful not to burn it. 

Add in the ground beef and and brown completely. Once browned, toss in your red wine and your veggie broth and cook down by about 1/2, about 10 minutes on medium high.

While the sauce is reducing, pour San Marzano tomatoes (with juice from can) into a large bowl and blend with an immersion blender until no large chunks remain. 

Add your tomato sauce, crisped bacon pieces and salt to the sauce pan and cook over medium-low heat for 30 min - 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Add in basil, oregano and fresh ground pepper. Stir to incorporate and simmer on low for an additional 30 minutes. Adjust salt and pepper if needed. 

Toss with spaghetti and serve with fresh parmesan. 

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