I still remember the first time I tasted this dish. I was sixteen years old and working my first cooking job to earn some pocket money at a restaurant in my hometown that served European food. Until then, I had almost no exposure to Western cooking (I hadn’t even tried pizza yet!). This dish was a bit of a culture shock for me, but I quickly became enchanted with Italian pasta. For the recipe, you can substitute ground veal or ground pork, if you like. Any leftover sauce can be frozen for up to a month.

　　

Ingredients

serves 4

　　1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

　　8 ounces ground beef

　　2 tablespoons minced garlic

　　1 onion, minced (about 1 1/4 cups)

　　3/4 cup full-bodied red wine, such as Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon

　　3 Roma tomatoes, cored and chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)

　　3/4 cup tomato juice

　　1/4 cup tomato paste

　　1 sprig fresh thyme

　　1 bay leaf

　　3 tablespoons unsalted butter

　　3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish

　　1 tablespoon honey

　　1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

　　12 ounces dried spaghetti

　　1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt

　　1/4 teaspoon pepper

　　Pinch of nutmeg

　　Pinch of cayenne pepper

　　2 tablespoons minced fresh basil leaves

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

　　

Step 2

Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in an ovenproof pot over medium heat. Add the ground beef and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the beef is cooked through and has broken down into small pieces, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain the beef through a fine-mesh sieve and discard the oil. Set the beef aside.

　　

Step 3

Set the same pot over low heat and add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Wait 30 seconds, then add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until the garlic turns golden brown, about 1 minute. Stir in the onion and increase the heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring often, until the onion becomes very soft, 10 to 12 minutes.

　　

Step 4

Return the drained beef to the pot and cook for 1 minute. Add the red wine and simmer until the liquid reduces by half (you should be able to see the bottom of the pot when you drag the spoon through the sauce), about 10 minutes.

　　

Step 5

Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato juice, tomato paste, thyme, and bay leaf. Cover the pot and place in the oven. Cook for 1 1/2 hours, or until the meat and tomatoes become very soft.

　　

Step 6

Remove the pot from the oven, uncover, and remove and discard the bay leaf. Return the pot to the stove top over low heat and add the butter, Parmesan cheese, honey, and balsamic vinegar. Mix until the butter melts and the Parmesan cheese is well incorporated.

　　

Step 7

Place a large pot of salted water over high heat and bring to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook, following package instructions. Drain well and divide the noodles among 4 plates.

　　

Step 8

While the noodles are cooking, finish the sauce by adding the salt, pepper, nutmeg, cayenne pepper, and basil. Adjust the seasonings to taste.

　　

Step 9

To serve, ladle 1/2 cup of bolognese sauce over each plate of spaghetti.

　　Takashi's Noodles