Porcini Mushroom and Beef Bolognese

Cut: Ground Beef
Preparation Time: 30 Minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 40 minutes

Main 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

Directions:
  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. Makes 8 servings.
Recipe Tips:
  • 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.
  • 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!
  • 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.
Recipe Notes:

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

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