Three Meat Bolognese Pasta

Tonight is an exciting night. For us it is the beginning of the holidays.  Mr. J has been running non-stop for the last several weeks. And although it helped a lot that I am no longer traveling as of this week it was still lonely and stressful with him being so busy.  So even though we both have to work tomorrow the fact that we are both home with no where to go makes everything seem so much better.

Because of all the hectic schedules we have barely eaten dinner together in the last month let alone made dinner. This pasta dish was a rare occasion a few weeks ago when pasta was one of the only things appealing to my taste buds. The fact that the recipe has 3 types of meat was appealing to Mr. J's.

As far as bolognese sauces this one comes together quickly.  No need to stand over the stove for hours in the afternoon. Plus it is not a huge quantity either.  We had two big servings for dinner and then enough for two lunch servings the next day. In my mind that is just the right amount of food. 

Three Meat Bolognese Pasta

by Emily Morris

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Keywords: entree pasta pork ground beef Italian

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Ingredients (serves 4)

• 1 (3/4-ounce) slice French bread
• 1/4 cup 1% low-fat milk
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/2 cup finely chopped carrot
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 4 oz ground veal
• 4 oz ground beef
• 4 oz ground pork
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 4 cups hot cooked pasta (about 8 ounces uncooked)
• 1/4 cup (1 ounce) shaved fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Instructions

Pulse bread in a food processor until coarse crumbs measure 1/2 cup. Combine crumbs and milk in a bowl.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and carrot; sauté 8 minutes.

Add garlic and tomato paste; sauté for 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Add vinegar; cook for 30 seconds. Add oregano, salt, peppers, and beef; cook 7 minutes, stirring to crumble.

Stir in breadcrumb mixture and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 6 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serve over pasta and top with cheese.

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Stuffed Green Peppers

Sometimes the simplest meal knocks you off your feet.  It is a great feeling.  I had planned on stuffed peppers but wasn't quite sure on the filling.

After a bit of digging around I realized that white and red onions, tomatoes, ground beef and lots of feta would hit the spot.  To add a bit more depth we made quinoa. 

The thing I always struggle with when it comes to stuffed peppers is being patient enough to let the peppers really cook and soften up.  As with most things I can never wait long enough and then end up disappointed with the results. This time I tried something a bit different.  We roasted the peppers ahead of time. 

Everything else was already cooked up so the second round of cooking was really just to melt the cheese.  They ended up being the best stuffed peppers I have had in a really long time and we had plenty of leftover filling.

Stuffed Green Peppers

by Emily Morris

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

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Ingredients (serves 4)

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 cup cooked quinoa
• 2 green bell peppers
• 1/2 white onion, chopped
• 1/2 red onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup tomato, chopped
• 1 cup crumbled feta
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a skillet over medium heat, cook the beef until evenly browned. Add onions and garlic and cook till softened. Add tomato pieces.

Remove and discard the tops, seeds, and membranes of the bell peppers. Arrange peppers in a baking dish with the hollowed sides facing upward. Bake for 45 minutes.

In a bowl, mix the browned beef, cooked quinoa, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Spoon an equal amount of the mixture into each hollowed pepper. Top with cheese.

Bake 15 more minutes in the preheated oven

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