Spaghetti Bolognese

I've done spaghetti in numerous sauces but I haven't done Bolognese. I've been intrigued about the addition of carrots and celery to the sauce and wondered how it would taste. There's only one way to find out when curious so I got a 5-star rating recipe in the internet courtesy of Emeril Lagasse. I was surprised at the long list of ingredients needed to make the sauce but I was game. I counted them all and they totaled to 26. Wow! And I thought I was overdoing it when I would use 16 ingredients to make my Spaghetti Supreme. Anyway, I used 23 because I omitted salt- I figured bacon is already salty so scrap that. I also skipped the red wine because I simply forgot and the thyme because I didn't have it and I couldn't find my bottled stash. Just the sauce takes long to cook because of the slow and low simmering aspect which makes it more flavorful. Here's the breakdown of my ingredients:

1.Ground beef 2.Pork sausage 3.Bacon 4.Onion 5.Garlic
6.Oregano 7.Bay leaves 8.Ground pepper 9.Cinnamon 10.Unsalted butter
11.Parsley flakes 12.Crushed tomato 13.Tomato paste 14.Beef broth 15.Celery 16.Carrots 17.Nutmeg 18.Sugar 19.Heavy cream 20.Parmesan cheese
21.Spaghetti Pasta 22.Chili flakes 23.Flat-leaf parsley

I don't think this will be encouraging for Marilyn ha ha ha. But it was delicious- I wouldn't mind making this again.

Spaghetti Bolognese
Emeril Lagasse

6 to 8 servings

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 ounces bacon or pancetta, diced
1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onions
3/4 cup diced carrots
3/4 cup diced celery
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 pound ground beef or ground veal
1/2 pound pork sausage, removed from the casings, or ground pork
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup red wine
2 (14 1/2-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes and their juice
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 cup beef or chicken stock or broth
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 pound spaghetti
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Directions
In a large pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring, until browned and the fat is rendered, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the onions, carrots and celery and cook, stirring, until soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic, salt, pepper, bay leaves, thyme, oregano, cinnamon, and nutmeg and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the beef and sausages, and cook, stirring, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the wine and cook, stirring, to deglaze the pan and remove any browned bits sticking to the bottom of the pan, and until half of the liquid is evaporated, about 2 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and their juices, the tomato sauce, beef broth, and sugar and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, to keep the sauce from sticking to the bottom of the pan, until the sauce is thickened and flavorful, about 1 1/2 hours. Add the cream, butter, and parsley, stir well, and simmer for 2 minutes. Discard the bay leaves and adjust the seasoning, to taste. Remove from the heat and cover to keep warm until ready to serve.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and return the water to a low boil. Cook, stirring occasionally to prevent the noodles from sticking, until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain in a colander.

Add the pasta to the sauce, tossing to coat. Add 1/2 cup of the cheese and toss to blend. Divide among pasta bowls and serve with the cheese passed tableside. (Alternatively, toss only the desired portion of pasta with a bit of the sauce at a time in a serving bowl, reserving the remainder for another meal.)