Bolognese is my favorite type of pasta, so I had some pretty high hopes going into this — and Garten delivered.
The “Barefoot Contessa” star has a knack for giving classic recipes a new twist, and her weeknight Bolognese is no exception. The shells are the perfect vehicle for this dish, catching all of the flavorful sauce so you can have some in every bite.
The nutmeg in the Bolognese nicely balances the kick from the red pepper flakes, and the freshly grated Parmesan cheese I added on top melted beautifully into the warm sauce.
My family, who helped me test the recipe, only had rave reviews.
“It’s a very meaty, very hearty pasta,” my dad said. “Perfect.”
“I really enjoy how the pasta holds onto the sauce,” my sister added. “With every spoonful, you get a good amount of meat and a good amount of pasta.”
I’ll definitely be adding Ina’s weeknight Bolognese (along with her five-cheese penne pasta) to my comfort-food repertoire.