Bolognese Rice Cake Recipes

Steps:

• Heat a large, heavy pot over medium heat. Add EVOO, 2 turns of the pan. Add the butter to the oil in small pieces and when the butter foams, add the onions, carrots, celery, garlic and bay and stir, about 5 minutes. Add pancetta and stir 8 to 10 more minutes to render and crisp. Add about a third of the beef and crumble it with a wooden paddle or spoon, let all of the liquid absorb and let the meat begin to lightly caramelize before adding the next third; repeat. Season the meat with salt, pepper, white pepper and nutmeg. Add white wine, about a quarter to a third of a bottle, then stir and let it absorb into the meat. Scrape up all of the fond or the drippings from the meats and vegetables, being careful not to burn the meat. Add milk, tomatoes and about 1 cup stock, a piece of cheese rind from Parmigiano-Reggiano if you have one, then lower heat to simmer, partially cover and cook the sauce 2 1/2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally and thoroughly with a wooden spoon. Add up to 1 extra cup of stock if needed if sauce gets too thick. The perfect traditional Bolognese should be buttery, uniform and emulsified, the consistency of rich, tender, pourable oatmeal. Remove bay leaf and the rind, if using, from the sauce. Sauce may be made a few days ahead as the longer it sets, the better it gets.
• To serve, cook pasta in salted water 1 minute less than package directions for al dente. Reserve 1 full cup of starchy cooking water, then drain pasta and place back in hot pot.
• Combine pasta with about two-thirds of the sauce, the cooking water and a couple of handfuls of grated cheese, tossing with tongs to combine.
• Serve pasta in shallow bowls with a little torn basil.

Steps:

• In a saucepan over medium heat, bring the milk to a simmer.
• Add the rice, cover and reduce the heat to low.
• Cook for about 30 minutes or until the mixture is very soft and creamy.
• Stir often to prevent sticking. Remove from heat and cool.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 10-inch round cake pan.
• Stir the eggs into the rice. Add sugar, nuts, raisins, butter, and zest.
• Pour in the prepared baking pan.
• Bake for 1 hour, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Remove from the oven and pierce the cake in several places with a fork.
• Pour the rum over the cake. Cool to lukewarm and unmold to a serving dish.
• Before serving, dust with confectioners sugar.

Steps:

• In a large skillet heat the olive oil. When almost smoking, add the onion and garlic and saute over medium heat until the onions become very soft, about 8 minutes. Add the celery and carrot and saute for 5 minutes. Raise heat to high and add the ground beef. Saute, stirring frequently and breaking up any large lumps and cook until meat is no longer pink, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes, parsley and basil and cook over medium low heat until the sauce thickens. Season with salt and pepper. This will take approximately 1/2 hour. Finish bolognese with Pecorino Romano.

Steps:

• Heat grill to high. In a large, non-stick frying pan, fry the mince until browned. Add the garlic, sugar and herbs, and cook for 1 min more. Pour over the passata, add seasoning, then simmer while you cook pasta, following the pack instructions.
• Meanwhile, mix the crème fraîche and Parmesan. Spoon half the mince into an ovenproof dish. Mix the rest with the pasta and pour this on top. Drizzle over the Parmesan cream and grill until golden and bubbling. Serve with salad and garlic bread.