Pages

17 July 2010

MMM Beef

Oh dear! I'm posting again already! What has happened to me? Oh right, the new layout. I just love it! Anyway, I was dreadfully divided about what to cook for dinner. You see, I was craving spaghetti with beefy tomato sauce, something that has no recipe whatsoever because the sauce comes from a jar. But I also have a super fantastic recipe for a hearty, beefy ragu that I've been wanting to try for a few weeks now. What's a pregant girl to do?


No, I didn't make both! Are you crazy?!? I haven't been able to eat leftovers lately so the last thing I need is an overabundance of spaghetti meals in my fridge. Gross. I went with the recipe, obviously, so that I could have something to share with you. Oh man, am I glad I did! It was exactly what I've been wanting today. Beef and tomatoes and pasta. Pretty sure the only thing that could make it better would have been some alfredo sauce (mmm, pink sauce). I also added some spicy Italian suasage because I wanted to.


And can I just say that I'm addicted to bread at the mo? I seriously need to get my lust checked out or learn how to make it myself before I go broke buying it from the store. It is seriously that good right now with some butter. I might actually need to go break off another piece before I finish this post up. Gotta keep my energy up to give you the recipe now don't I?


Penne with Hearty Beef Ragu
Recipe by Confections of a Foodie Bride, adapted by me

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
1 tsp minced fresh rosemary
12 oz ground beef, extra lean
2/3 cup red wine (I used beef stock cause the mell of wine does things to my insides that is not fun)
3 Tbsp tomato paste
2 1/2 cups canned crushed tomatoes
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 2-3 inch section of Parmesan rind (optional; I did not use this because I didn't remember to buy fresh Parm)
1 lb whole wheat penne (I actually debated on just using spaghetti but then I thought about and decided to do the whole wheat penne; I was good)
  1. Add the olive oil to a dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add the onion, garlic, carrot, celery and rosemary and cook until the vegetables are softened, 8-10 minutes. Add 1 to 2 Tbsp water, if needed, to keep the pan from drying out and the vegetables from browning.
  2. Add the ground beef, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, and cook until browned, about 10 minutes. Add the wine and tomato paste. Cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the alcohol has evaporated, about 4 minutes.
  3. Reduce the heat to low and add the tomatoes, salt and pepper. Cover partially and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thick and aromatic, about 40 minutes. Add the Parmesan rind and cook an additional 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  4. Before the sauce is finished, cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Drain the pasta. Remove the rind and add the pasta to the sauce, stirring to combine. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

24 comments:

Vince with Slap Chop said...

I don't even like that stuff and it looks good! Of course, that could be attributed to the fact that I'm poor and can't buy real food 99% of the time (or even food in general). Nomnomnom.

P.S. You're gonna love my nuts... At least, that's what I've heard...

Sharon's Mum Anne said...

That looks good but takes serious time in preparation and cooking and is, therefore, not for me.
I'm fascinated by your need for bread and butter - thats an innocuous "urge" but if a girl's gotta eat bread then what can a girl do? Shades of the earlier post, at least you're not called MarieAnne!!
VwithSC is not to be trusted - trying to tempt you with nuts could that be the Mim-minx?

Sunshine said...

Vince - How did it feel to get beat up by a hooker? Silly Mim! You almost had me there.

Anne - That is indeed Mim parading around as a man. She was referring to a video on Youtube of one of our infomercial hosts that has been remixed and is now my favorite video to watch (very funny; if you want to view it, just look for Slap Chop Remix). The prep was actually really easy because I used my slap chop. I cheated and bought carrots that were already cut down to shoestring size so I could use the chopper. As for the bread and butter, I've always loved it, now I just can't get enough of it.

Undercover Mim said...

Curses! Foiled again!

Sharon's Mum Anne said...

When you have we two famous sleuths on the case be sure your petty disguise will fool no one.

Mesdames Holmes and Watson I do believe!

Sharon's Mum Anne said...

Mim, whilst I was typing the above I was twirling my moustaches a la
Hercule Poirot.

OK, OK I know I should put an accent on the "a" but mine's an English keyboard with nary an accent in sight :-(

Sunshine said...

Agatha Christie reference for the win! So then which would you like to be, Holmes or Watson?

Sharon's Mum Anne said...

Gosh, I think Watson, because I think he was the older ALSO you're brighter than me so you just have to be Holmes :-)No smoking cos you're preggers and cut back on the opium. However, you can play your violin to your heart's content. Now I'm racking my brains re. Holmes's brother and I THINK his name was Mycroft so Mim Mycroft it is. I'm not 100% on Mim's character, I may just have made her up! Now I think about it who went over the Falls - Holmes's deadly enemy - Moriarty I believe so Mim could be the villain of the piece. She's the baby of the trio I believe so she has to be what we decide cos we're grown-ups!

I really would possibly make a better Jane Marple - she's definitely more my age group!

Sunshine said...

Oh my goodness! I almost wet my pants from laughing so hard! So you shall be known as Dr. Watson or Madame Marple, whichever pops out of my keyboard first. You are indeed correct about Mycroft Holmes being the good detective's brother. I suppose it's up to Mim. Do you want to be the brother or the nemesis?

The Great Mimiarty said...

NEMISIS! Any day. They always have more fun. Just call me Mim-iarty.

Sharon's Mum Anne said...

Dr Watson worries about Madame Holmes wetting her pants when reading - wait 'til she's into the third trimester and then she'll be damp ad nauseum! Actually, now I think of it, it's a bit like that for me permanently now. I dread a sneeze hitting me suddenly........

Welcome Mim-iarty what dastardly deeds are you up to now?

Mimiarty said...

Well my dear Watson, there are no evil plans in the works for today, but I fully intend to wreak havoc on the city of Las Vegas in the the next few days.

Mwahahahaha!!!

Sharon's Mum Anne said...

You could be the Mimiarty who broke the bank at Monte Carlo (oops sorry) Las Vegas. Bon chance ma petite:-)

Viva Mim Vegas said...

Merci beaucoup! I'll tell you right now, I won't be breaking any banks... But the whole stick-a-penny-in-the-slot-for-free-booze thing is looking like a winner.

Sharon's Mum Anne said...

Je will raise moi eau do tumbler to a hopeful winner although je have never heard of free booze!

Mimmie Mouse said...

Feed the Poopsmith already! And tell us about it.

[Word verification: binteme... I'm really sad to have fallen out of the habit of calling girls 'bint'. Is that mean? I think I'm gonna start it back up again.]

Sunshine said...

Sorry, sorry, sorry. I've got one that I've been sitting on all week and just haven't gotten around to posting it. Tonight, I promise.

And I almost called one of the women at work that, but I knew she would have no idea what a horrible name I was calling her.

Mimrose said...

Ah c'mon. It's not THAT bad. And even better that they wouldn't know what you were really calling them.

Sharon's Mum Anne said...

In the land of far, far away the word that you two are discussing was considered "not nice" and a lady definitely wouldn't use it!!!
I've just checked it out in my OED and it's an old British slang word.
What I want to know is how come two nice young ladies know, and use, such a word?

Pam said...

That's my kind of food for sure! It looks delicious and I like the sausage dish below also! I'm a new follower and glad to see all the great recipes!

Mim said...

@Anne: I learned it when I studied abroad in England. I know it's not nice, but we sure had fun saying it! (Not to other people's faces of course.)

Sharon's Mum Anne said...

All is forgiven Mimiarty - there are some extremely uncouth people who live on this small island!

Sunshine said...

Pam - Thanks for the lovely comments. Apologies for craziness that seems to have happened here in my comments.

Anne - I learned that unsavoury word whilst reading books written by lovely British women (who, now that I think of it, must not be very lovely if they are using that kind of word). My apologies. I'll try to keep it in check (although the woman at work definitely qualifies as one).

Mim - I swear, the new post is coming tonight.

Sharon's Mum Anne said...

Liar, liar pants on fire you haven't printed your new post and you said you were going to do it days ago!