Porcini Mushroom and Beef Bolognese

Perfect for a dinner party or crowd, this “pasta with meat sauce” is flavored with pancetta, prosciutto, red wine and sun-dried tomatoes resulting in nothing less than amazing.

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 Posciutto, 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

Instructions

1. Heat stockpot over medium heat until hot. Add Ground Beef; cook 8 to 10 minutes, breaking into 3/4-inch crumbles and stirring occasionally. Remove from stockpot with slotted spoon; season with salt and pepper. Set aside. Pour off drippings.

   Cook's Tip: Cooking times are for fresh or thoroughly thawed Ground Beef. Ground Beef should be cooked to an internal temperature of 160°F. Color is not a reliable indicator of Ground Beef doneness.

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.

   Cook's Tip: 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.

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.
   
   Recipe adapted fromThe Healthy Beef Cookbook, published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

   Cook's Tip: To easily chop sun-dried tomatoes, use a kitchen scissors to snip the tomatoes into small pieces.