Barbara’s Cooking Guide: Better-Than-Bolognese Pasta Recipe

Pasta is one of the most beloved types of food around the world, and this is no surprise since it is so easy to make, it can be prepared with almost anything, and it is downright delicious.
Federico Fellini once said, “Life is a blend of magic and pasta.” I wholeheartedly concur.
Everyone will attempt to consume and prepare the classic pasta dishes Bolognese, Milanese, Carbonara, and Aglio e Olio at least once in their lifetime.
Over time, though, you’ll come to understand that the ideal pasta dish is one that originates from the bottom of your heart, using ingredients you already have in the fridge.
I intended to cook the classic Bolognese dish a couple of days ago, but I didn’t have all the ingredients and I didn’t have time to go shopping.
I conducted a thorough inventory of my ingredients and discovered that I had everything I require, including a package of dried tagliatelle, some ground veal and pork, spices, parmesan, tomato sauce, and a delectable organic rocket salad (arugula).
Do you want to know how it turned out?
I’ll give you something even better, a recipe that you can make by yourself so you can taste how it turns out.

Further Reading: How Long To Store Pasta in The Fridge?

Better-than-Bolognese Pasta

Travel to Italy with little time and effort invested.
Proof that making of the perfect pasta starts with an idea. If you don’t believe me, try it for yourself. 🙂

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Servings: 2 people

Ingredients

Half pack dried tagliatelle (between 10 and 15 ounces)
1 cup canned tomato sauce
10 ounces ground veal and pork (mixed)
A handful of arugula
5 tbsp parmesan
2 tbsp ground bell pepper
2 tbsp mixture of seasonings (dried garlic, basil, oregano, chili, and pepper)
2 tsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil

Further Reading: The Perfect Way to Thicken Spaghetti Sauce

Instructions

Heat one spoon of olive oil in a skillet. Add the ground meat.
Pour the seasonings, including the bell pepper and one teaspoon of salt, into the meat, and leave to cook for about 5 to 10 minutes.
When the meat gets nice brownish color, add the tomato sauce and arugula.
Meanwhile, pour about 4 cups of hot water into a pot, add a spoon of olive oil and a teaspoon of salt.
When the water is near to boiling, add the dried tagliatelle and leave to cook for about 7 minutes.
Serve by putting the cooked tagliatelle on the plate first and then adding the sauce on top of them.
To with parmesan and fresh arugula for decoration.

Recipe Notes

Cooking pasta may be easy, but it is also easy to make a mistake while doing that.

Really, nothing tastes as disappointing as overcooked tagliatelle, so make sure you don’t leave them on the stove longer than 7 minutes.
If you are using fresh instead of dried tagliatelle, the cooking time is even shorter, and you will need to take them off the stove after no longer than six minutes.
As for the seasonings and the other ingredients, you can modify them to suit your taste buds the best.

For me, arugula is one of the more exciting ingredients, because it adds a bit of bitterness which goes perfectly with the soft texture of parmesan, but it is not for everyone’s taste.

Bottom line?
Pasta is love, and you should cook it with what you love.
That way you won’t make mistakes.
What do you say? Are you ready for your culinary trip to Italy?
Good luck and Buon appetito! 😉