Bolognese

For this post, I had to make a drawing.  And by "make a drawing", I mean mash up some things from clip art and word art for you, to convey the depth of my love of bolognese.

There is an entire portion of my brain devoted to it.  I decided it was somewhere in the frontal lobe, because it definitely controls my decision making, or rather impairs it when the other parts of my brain smell it or think about it.  Even though I was content before I started writing this post, I am now voraciously hungry for more pasta.
It's a blessing and a curse, people.  We have Ina Garten to thank for this particular mutation of my disease.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons good olive oil, plus extra to use in the pasta water
• 1 pound ground beef
• 4 cloves minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 1/4 cups dry red wine, divided
• 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon sea salt (plus more to taste) for the sauce and 1 tablespoon sea salt for the pasta water
• 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper (plus more to taste)
• 3/4 pound dried pasta
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves, lightly packed
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish

Directions

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat.  Add the ground beef and cook, crumbling the meat with a wooden spatula, for 5 to 7 minutes until the meat is no longer pink and has started to brown.
2. Stir in the garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes and cook for 1 more minute.
3. Pour 1 cup of the wine into the skillet and stir t scrape up any browned bits.  Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, 1 tablespoon of salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper, stirring until combined.  Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Add a tablespoon of salt, a splash of oil, and the pasta, and cook according to the directions on the box.
5. While the pasta cooks, finish the sauce.  Add the nutmeg, basil, cream, and the remaining 1/4 cup of wine to the sauce and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until thickened. 
6. When the pasta is cooked, drain and pour back into the pot you boiled it in.  Add the sauce and 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese and stir to coat evenly.
7. Serve hot with Parmesan grated on top.