I know this seems out of season, but we love spaghetti and meat sauce any time of year. Due to my heritage, without a spec of Italian blood I am at full liberty to make up anything which tastes great on pasta. Although I lament I have never had that grand matriarch in my life, I have taken this opportunity to create my own tradition with this highly personal dish. This combination is a result of a long time of change, family input, trial and error. I feel it is worth publishing now. So here you go, I am sure there will be controversy….
1 lb Ground Chuck 80/20 ratio to fat
5 slices of Smoked Bacon, diced
1/2 cup chopped onion (I use frozen – they are so handy)
2 Carrots, peeled and diced
1 tsp Anise Seed
1 1/2 tsp Oregano
2 Bay Leaves
1 jar Barilla Basil and Tomato Sauce (or your favorite basil/tomato sauce)
1 tsp Honey
1/2 cup Red Wine
to serve: Fresh Basil, freshly grated Parmesan (or Monchego, as I used here) and Spaghetti
- In a large sauce pan over medium high heat, saute the bacon, the onion and the ground beef until browned
- Add the carrot, oregano, and anise seed and stir
- Add the tomato sauce and the bay leaves
- Add the red wine, I put the wine in the tomato sauce jar, shake it to get the last of the tomato sauce and add to pan
- Simmer the sauce on medium heat for about 30 minutes, when it reduces and becomes glossy add the honey, swirling the spoon through the sauce
- Remove the bay leaves and serve over pasta, top with fresh basil, grated parmesan
