Quick Pasta Bolognese With Zucchini Recipes

ZUCCHINI NOODLES WITH BOLOGNESE SAUCE

Steps:

• Place the spiralized zucchini on top of paper towels and sprinkle with salt. This will help the zucchini release some of their excess water. Set aside.
• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrots, and celery, and saute until they begin to soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Add ground beef and 2 cloves garlic. Season with salt and pepper and continue cooking, breaking up the beef into a fine mince, until browned, about 5 minutes. Drain off any excess grease.
• Pour in red wine and cook until reduced slightly. Place tomatoes and liquid from the can into a blender or food processor and quickly puree to break up the whole tomatoes. Add tomatoes to the pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and continue to simmer for about 45 minutes, stirring frequently. Pour in milk and heat through.
• Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add zucchini and remaining garlic; saute until zucchini reaches your desired tenderness, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Divide the zucchini noodles into 6 bowls. Top with some Bolognese sauce and sprinkle with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

SIMPLE BOLOGNESE

Steps:

• In a large skillet heat the olive oil. When almost smoking, add the onion and garlic and saute over medium heat until the onions become very soft, about 8 minutes. Add the celery and carrot and saute for 5 minutes. Raise heat to high and add the ground beef. Saute, stirring frequently and breaking up any large lumps and cook until meat is no longer pink, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes, parsley and basil and cook over medium low heat until the sauce thickens. Season with salt and pepper. This will take approximately 1/2 hour. Finish bolognese with Pecorino Romano.

BOLOGNESE WITH ZUCCHINI NOODLES

Steps:

• Heat a large Dutch oven with the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef with a liberal pinch of salt and cook until brown, about 4 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the carrots, celery and onions in a food processor and pulse to chop finely.
• With a slotted spoon, remove the browned meat from the pan and set aside. Add the vegetables to the pan with a large pinch of salt and sweat until translucent and aromatic, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and sweat 1 minute more. Deglaze the pan with the red wine, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to get all the goodies into the sauce. Bring to a simmer and cook until reduced by about half. Then add the tomatoes, oregano, bay leaf, chile flakes and ground beef back in. Simmer for about 30 minutes.
• While the sauce is simmering, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. When you have 5 minutes left for the sauce, drop the zucchini into the boiling water and give it a stir so it doesn't stick. When the noodles are cooked al dente, remove and set aside 1/2 cup of the pasta water, and then drain.
• Stir the zucchini noodles into the sauce to coat the noodles. Add the reserved pasta water, Parmesan, butter, olive oil and parsley and continue to mix. Once the butter is melted and everything is incorporated, remove from the heat and serve immediately.

WEEKNIGHT BOLOGNESE

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large (12-inch) skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground sirloin and cook, crumbling the meat with a wooden spoon, for 5 to 7 minutes, until the meat has lost its pink color and has started to brown. Stir in the garlic, oregano and red pepper flakes and cook for 1 more minute. Pour 1 cup of the wine into the skillet and stir to scrape up any browned bits. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, 1 tablespoon salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper, stirring until combined. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil, add a tablespoon of salt, a splash of oil and the pasta, and cook according to the directions on the box.
• While the pasta cooks, finish the sauce. Add the nutmeg, basil, cream and the remaining 1/4 cup wine to the sauce and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until thickened. When the pasta is cooked, drain and pour into a large serving bowl. Add the sauce and 1/2 cup Parmesan and toss well. Serve hot with Parmesan on the side.

EGGPLANT ZUCCHINI BOLOGNESE

Steps:

• Cook pasta according to package directions. , In a large bowl, combine the eggplant, zucchini, squash, onion, oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Transfer to two 15x10x1-in. baking pans coated with cooking spray. Bake at 425° for 20-25 minutes or until tender. , Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in the tomato puree, Italian seasoning and brown sugar. , Drain pasta; stir in tomato mixture and roasted vegetables. Sprinkle with cheese.

ZUCCHINI PASTA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente. Drain and reserve.
• Fill a medium sauce pan with lightly salted water. Add zucchini and bring to a boil; boil for 10 minutes or until tender.
• In a large skillet, saute garlic in oil and hot pepper flakes. Add drained zucchini and parsley, then mix all together and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. Toss with pasta; then add cheese and salt and pepper to taste, and serve.