BIG-FLAVOR (INSTANT POT) BOLOGNESE
When I want to eat and I want to eat well, I crave bolognese—with long swirly noodles and plenty of parmesan cheese. It’s one of those few pastas I will order on the menu at a great restaurant because the sauce is usually deep and satisfying, owing to a long, slow simmer in a good Dutch oven, which is how I made bolognese for years for my own family. How I did just about everything before an Instant Pot came into my life.
I gave a LOT of thought to how much impact I could get from a quick-cook meaty sauce in a short amount of time, before including a recipe in INSTANT FAMILY MEALS. In short, I hesitated. But then, I dug in my heels and worked hard to solve some of the problems I worried about—and added ample amounts of harissa, good red wine and the best San Marzano tomatoes to make sure I could win the flavor equation on this one.
Imagine my delight, then, when I read this review about my Quick Pork Bolognese recipe this week: “The Quick Pork Bolognese is shockingly excellent. I’m Italian and went into this one with some apprehension, but it did not disappoint." (Thanks, NK on Amazon! I’m thrilled!).
As satisfying as a spaghetti-and-meatball dinner is a quicker way to get there is a big, bold Bolognese (or Ragu a la Bolognese, ragu that hails from Bologna), which takes a quarter of the time to reach maximum flavor in a multicooker. Most meat sauces use beef as the headliner, but my favorite blend is pork forward, with a bit of grass-fed ground beef mixed in. But feel free to play around with this ratio, so long as you don’t skimp on the aromatics.
This is a winning pot of flavor, a recipe that will serve you for years to come. I always love this on a wide noodle, like tagliatelle or pappardelle (but any noodles will work). Or try it on top of creamy polenta. Either way, a dollop of fresh ricotta and surprising mint is a welcome addition.
BIG-FLAVOR, ALMOST-INSTANT BOLOGNESE
Reprinted with permission from INSTANT FAMILY MEALS
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
½ yellow onion, finely chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1 large carrot, finely chopped
6 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 finely chopped anchovies
1 ½ pounds ground pork
½ pound ground beef
⅓ cup tomato paste
1 tablespoon harissa or hot pepper paste (optional)
¾ cup dry red wine, such as Merlot
1 28-ounce can whole San Marzano or plum tomatoes
2 bay leaves
1 sprig fresh rosemary
2 teaspoons fine sea salt
1 ¼ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
Garnish:
Fresh ricotta cheese or finely grated Parmesan cheese
½ cup fresh mint or parsley leaves
Add the oil in an electric pressure cooker and heat using the sauté function. Add the onion, celery, carrots, garlic, anchovies, and cook until slightly softened, about 6 minutes. Add the beef and pork and cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon, until brown, about 8 minutes.
Add the tomato paste and harissa; cook, stirring, for 1 minute to toast. Add the wine and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring to release any browned bits and let the alcohol cook down, 2 minutes more.
Crush the tomatoes with a potato masher in a bowl. Add the tomatoes and their juices, the bay leaves , rosemary, salt and pepper to the pot. Lock the lid into place and cook on high pressure until the sauce is deeply flavored, 30 minutes. Release the steam manually. Remove and discard the bay leaves and rosemary sprig.
When ready to serve, spoon the sauce over pasta, and top with fresh ricotta cheese, and (or) Parmesan, herbs and more black pepper to taste.
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Serves 6 to 8 (makes about 9 cups)
GO VEG // WILD MUSHROOM BOLOGNESE
Replace the pork and beef with 2 1/2 pounds of finely chopped mixed mushrooms (crimini, button, maitake, shiitake, and oyster) plus a splash of soy (a food processor makes quick work of the mushrooms). For best results, use as many types of mushrooms as you can. Buttons will be juicy, while maitake, shiitake, and oysters lend incredible depth and meatiness. After pressure cooking, release the pressure manually and cook on the sauté setting for 10 minutes to thicken. (Mushrooms release a lot of water, and cooking them further will deepen the sauce’s flavor.) Serve warm, topped with fresh ricotta for an extra treat.
“ Everyone LOVES new pressure cooker mom! ”