Oklahoma Dietetic Association - Oklahoma Beef Industry Council Recipe of the month

Oklahoma Beef Council Recipe of the Month

Porcini Mushroom and Beef Bolognese
Served over pasta, this rich, beefy tomato sauce flavored with mushrooms, garlic, prosciutto, pancetta and red wine is ideal for entertaining.

Total preparation and cooking time: 2 1/4 hours
Makes 8 servings

Ingredients:

2 pounds ground beef (95% lean)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 cup sliced cremini mushrooms
3 ounces pancetta, finely chopped
2 ounces prosciutto, finely chopped
3 tablespoons minced garlic
1 cup dry red wine
2 cans (14 to 14-1/2 ounces each) ready-to-serve beef broth
3/4 cup dried porcini mushrooms, broken into small pieces (about 1 ounce)
3/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes, not packed in oil
1/3 cup tomato paste
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
8 cups hot cooked pasta

Cooking Instructions:

1. Brown ground beef in stockpot over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes or until beef is no longer pink, breaking up into 3/4-inch crumbles. Remove from stockpot with slotted spoon; season with salt and pepper. Set aside. Pour off drippings.

2. In same stockpot, heat oil over medium heat until hot. Add onion, cremini mushrooms, pancetta, prosciutto and garlic; cook 8 to 10 minutes or until onion is tender and most of the liquid has evaporated, stirring occasionally. Add wine; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 8 to 10 minutes or until liquid is reduced by half.

3. Return beef crumbles to stockpot. Stir in broth, porcini mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar and thyme; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 45 minutes. Uncover stockpot; continue simmering 10 to 15 minutes or until sauce thickens. Stir in additional sugar, as desired. Serve over pasta.

Nutrition information per serving: 313 calories; 13 g fat (6 g saturated fat; 3 g monounsaturated fat); 88 mg cholesterol; 1014 mg sodium; 14 g carbohydrate; 2.4 g fiber; 33 g protein; 7.4 mg niacin; 0.5 mg vitamin B6; 2.2 mcg vitamin B12; 5.2 mg iron; 19.8 mcg selenium; 6.3 mg zinc.

This recipe is an excellent source of protein, niacin, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, iron, selenium and zinc.

Chef Richard’s Tip: For an impressive touch, drizzle a little good-quality truffle oil over this and other Italian dishes. Be sure to refrigerate truffle oil to keep it fresh.

Cook’s Tip: To easily chop sun-dried tomatoes, use a kitchen scissors to snip the tomatoes into small pieces. Pancetta is an Italian bacon that is cured but not smoked. Flavorful and slightly salty, it’s sliced into rounds of varying thickness from a sausage-shaped roll. Pancetta is available in Italian markets and some supermarkets. All that’s needed to finish this meal is a colorful green salad!

As seen in The Healthy Beef Cookbook, published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.