Two Tempting Italian Classics Tagliatelle Bolognese and Spaghetti and Meatballs

Two Tempting Italian Classics Tagliatelle Bolognese and Spaghetti and Meatballs

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Link Love: When we ask people about their favorite Seduction Meal, Italian dishes, especially pasta, rank right on top. Perhaps we’ve all grown up with fond memories of festive family dinners filled with great aromas coming out of the kitchen, free-flowing wine, pasta plates joyfully being passed around, followed by a meat or fish dish, and luscious Italian desserts. It’s easy to understand why Italian food is one of the best “comfort food” choices and why pasta is an all time favorite. There are many creative pasta recipes, but sometimes the simplicity of the classics is best. I found two recipes on the Barilla website that prove this point; one for Tagliatelle Bolognese with a traditional slow-cooked meat sauce, and another for Spaghetti and Meatballs that calls for a tomato and basil sauce. Perfect Italian dishes you will just love – Mangia!

TAGLIATELLE BOLOGNESE / Serves 4

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INGREDIENTS:

  • 12 oz Tagliatelle noodles
  • 24 oz Bolognese sauce (recipe below)
  • 1 pinch chopped parsley
  • 2 oz grated Parmesan cheese

INGREDIENTS FOR THE SAUCE:

  • 1/2 lb ground beef
  • 1/2 lb ground pork
  • 3 oz onion
  • 1 oz carrots
  • 2 oz celery
  • 1 cup of red wine
  • 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon mixed herbs (sage, parsley, thyme, rosemary)
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 can peeled tomatoes (we recommend Barilla )
  • Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Prepare the Bolognese sauce in a large pot, cooking the onion, celery and carrots in the oil until golden brown. Cook for about 7 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, in a nonstick pan, fry the minced meat, stirring well until it is golden brown, and then drain the excess fat.
  3. Add the meat to the vegetables, along with the red wine. Let reduce.
  4. Add the chopped tomatoes and the tomato paste. Bring to a boil and, if necessary, add a bit of water to finish cooking without the sauce sticking to the pan. Then add the mixed herbs. Salt and pepper to taste.
  5. The sauce should simmer for at least 45 minutes.
  6. Cook the noodles in boiling salted water.  When cooked, toss them with the sauce and finish with a sprinkling of grated Parmigiano Reggiano

 

SPAGHETTI AND MEATBALLS / Serves 4

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INGREDIENTS:

  • 16 oz spaghetti
  • 6 oz tomato sauce (we recommend Academia Barilla)
  • 12 3-oz meatballs
  • 1 presa chopped parsley

INGREDIENTS FOR THE MEATBALLS

  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
  • 3 oz grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 tablespoons chopped basil
  • 4 eggs
  • 4 oz white bread
  • 4 tablespoons cold milk
  • Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

  1. In a small bowl, soak the bread in milk for 15 to 20 minutes until completely absorbed.
  2. In a separate bowl mix the minced meat with chopped parsley, eggs, salt, pepper and Parmesan cheese. Add the softened bread, crumbling it with your hands, and mix well.
  3. Make 3-oz meatballs and cook them in the oven for 10 minutes at 400º F. Once cooked, add the meatballs to the tomato sauce.
  4. Cook the pasta in salted water, drain and add the sauce with the meatballs and serve with a sprinkling of grated Parmesan.