Pasta Bolognese

Hands down this is one of my family's favorite meals, especially my pasta loving youngest.  It is perfect to serve to company and your guests will be quite impressed.  While I consider this one to be not only elegant but a bit on the decedent side (it has cream in it) it is surprisingly a rather thrifty meal to make and quite easy too.

Pasta Bolognese

2 cups cooked roast beef

8 oz. mushrooms, thinly sliced

1 15 oz. can tomato sauce

1 15 oz. can Italian style diced tomatoes

1 tsp. dried basil

3 tsp. minced garlic

1 to 1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1 pound pasta, cooked

In a large pot or slow cooker place beef and mushrooms.  Cook until roast beef falls apart.  Add tomato sauce, canned tomatoes, basil and garlic.  Simmer on low for two hours.  Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup of cream.  Sauce should have a nice pink color to it.  Add a little more if necessary.  Serve over hot pasta.

Wouldn't this be nice on Valentine's Day?

I almost always save a portion of a pot roast every time I make one just for this recipe.  It works  beautifully in this dish.  To make it fancy I serve it with Farfalle (bowtie) pasta or penne, but just about any pasta if fine.  Spaghetti, linguine or fettuccine pasta is quite nice as well.

I will usually accompany this with a nice spinach or Caesar salad.  If company is coming I'll make up a loaf or frenchbread or some dinner rolls.

Let me know if you give this one a try.  I'm sure you'll love it as much as we do.