Penne Bolognese (variation)

By now readers of this blog have probably surmised that I like starch...particularly bread and pasta...and over recent years I have migrated towards whole and multiple grain varieties. Pasta, I think, is one of the most incredibly versatile foods...it's simple, the variations and ingredients are seemingly endless, and a meal can be made in one pot. Anyhow, tonight for dinner I made a variation of Pasta Bolognese, I say variation because I did not include carrots or cream. And this is how I made it:

Saute ground beef (you can substitute pork or veal, or include both) then add onions and garlic. I also added some crushed hot pepper (optional) and fennel seed.

Then I realized I probably had enough basil in the garden so I shut off the flame to investigate. I was really surprised to see how much was ready to pick.

After turning the heat back on I added a pint of tomato sauce that I had in my freezer (can't remember if it was homemade or not, but it was good), then cut the basil into chiffonade and added it to the sauce.

Meanwhile, I boiled the pasta al dente and added it to the sauce. I cooked the pasta in the sauce for a couple of minutes (to absorb its flavor), and then added a little Parmesan cheese.

The finished recipe...yum. It was (is) as good as it looks. (If you need an actual recipe click here.)