This homemade and fresh garden Bolognese sauce recipe paired with Deano’s Pasta’s whole wheat pasta is not only super delicious and classic comfort food, but also a locally sourced and nutrient dense entrée as well! (Serves 4)

This is a well-balanced meal containing recommended amounts of vegetables, whole and unrefined grains, low-fat lean protein, recommended amount of extra virgin olive oil- a healthy monounsaturated fat-, and the recommended amount of milk and cheese. 

Whole wheat grains Bolognese essentially starts with a tomato base, basil, and a mix of chopped carrots and onions. These vegetables are naturally fat free and very low in calories. Tomatoes are a good source of potassium, iron, magnesium, vitamin C, vitamin E, and vitamin B. Tomatoes have high content of lycopene, an antioxidant that protects against some chronic health diseases and cancers. Extra virgin olive oil is a monounsaturated fat containing modest amounts of vitamins E and K, and loaded with antioxidants which is great for cardiovascular health. 

In pairing with an artisanal whole wheat pasta, the everyday common diet still needs to have carbohydrates and grains. By selecting an unrefined and whole wheat pasta instead of a white refined pasta, it adds many more nutrients to your diet and is not considered  empty calories. Using ground chicken rather than the traditional beef is a healthier recommended substitute as chicken is very lean compared to beef, and the USDA recommends reducing intake of red meat.

Ingredients

Preparation

Preparing the Sauce

1. Prepare all of the vegetables and cut to description. Grab a large pot and add the olive oil and chopped vegetables, then cook over low heat. You are not looking for color just wanting to make sure the vegetables are tender and sweated out. Stir for several minutes until tender and onions are almost translucent.
2. Increase the heat to medium-high and add the ground chicken. Make sure the meat does not clump by breaking it into small minced pieces while stirring.
3. Once the meat has browned turn the meat up to high and add wine to deglaze the bottom of the pot and attain all the flavor from the fond. Continue to stir around the contents until the liquid and alcohol have evaporated.
4. Decrease the heat to medium-low and add the tomato paste, puree, basil, crushed red pepper, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Slowly lower the heat and let it simmer and cover with the pot lid for up to three hours for maximum flavor, making sure that the sauce does not come to a boil. Be sure to check on the sauce from time to time. Letting it simmer for hours will produce the best flavor, but if needed to serve immediately, simmer at least 30 minutes.
5. Once completed, remove the bay leaves, stir in the milk, bring to simmer, and serve.

Preparing the Pasta

1. Bring a stock pot full of water to a boil and salt the water. 
2. Take 3 pounds of Deano’s Pasta: Slow Dry Riserva-Whole Wheat Rigatoni and put into boiling water. Keeping in mind that cooking fresh pasta takes 3-5 minutes compared to dried pasta which cooks from 10-12 minutes, depending on the pasta variety. When al dente, or tender to the bite, strain immediately and serve with Bolognese.

Serving

1. Once the Bolognese sauce is cooked and the pasta is prepared, carefully ladle and mix sauce onto rigatoni.
2. Grab a plate and if you would like, plate over a bed of delicious, fresh, and clean assorted seasonal greens.
3. Grate fresh parmesan above pasta, sprinkle a little bit of basil on, and place a piece of burrata carefully pierced into with spoons on top. Enjoy!

Meet Rootasters:

Wachira is a passionate, creative, and inspiring chef with over twenty years of food service experience. Working at his family restaurant as a child and growing up with a hunger of knowledge. Since then he has now worked with several Boston renown and famous restaurants and world class hoteliers. His experience is in using farm grown ingredients with an emphasis on local, sustainable, and responsibly sourced, fresh and nutrient-dense ingredients and produce.