Spicy, Creamy Weeknight Bolognese

Spicy, Creamy Weeknight Bolognese

This pasta sauce captures the soul-soothing essence of a long-simmering Bolognese even though it cooks quickly. Searing ground beef gives it a caramelized taste that mimics the depth of slow-cooked meat. Adding a few spoonfuls of red curry paste doesn’t make it taste like curry, but gives it instant nuance and depth. Some rich cream at the end rounds the sharp heat to an enveloping warmth. To save even more time, you can chop the vegetables while the meat is cooking. The sauce tastes great on any type of pasta, but it’s especially nice with varieties that can capture it in their curves.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Salt and black pepper

1 pound ground beef (at least 20 percent fat)

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped

2 to 3 tablespoons red curry paste

1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce

1 pound short, curled pasta, such as pipettes

1 cup heavy cream

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

Meanwhile, heat a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over high until very hot. Add the beef, and smush and spread in a single layer. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then cook, stirring, to break into tiny bits and cook through, 4 to 5 minutes.

Push the meat to one side, and add the onion and carrots to the beef fat on the other side. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally with the beef, until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add the curry paste, 2 tablespoons for a mild spiciness and 3 for more heat, and stir until darkened in color, 2 to 3 minutes. Pour in the tomato sauce, then fill the can a third of the way up with water to swish out the rest of the sauce into the pot. Stir, bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low and simmer while the pasta cooks.

Cook the pasta in the boiling water until al dente. Save ½ cup pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta and add to the simmering sauce.

Stir the cream into the sauced pasta, taste and season with salt and pepper. For a thinner sauce, stir in a bit of the pasta water. Serve hot.

TIP: I believe every Italian American Cook has a version of this in their repertoire. As the family cook, being that I was a teacher and got home an hour and a half earlier than my wife, I would make a very similar sauce: ground beef browned in the pot, caramelized the onions and a carrot, if I had one sitting around, open up a can of Cento crushed tomatoes, empty it with a little bit of water. The kids would come home, absolutely ravenous from their after school activities and devour it, and if we were lucky, with a big dollop of ricotta cheese and Parmesan on top. It was an absolute lifesaver, highly recommended for working families. I’m going to try the red curry paste, it sounds delicious.