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Photo:Michael Buckner/Variety/Getty Images
Michael Buckner/Variety/Getty Images
Christmas is just around the corner, and while you’ve been focusing on buying gifts or whipping up cookies, you may have put the dinner plans on the back burner. Before you start to worry, Giada De Laurentiis just shared a cozy main dish that will be sure to wow your family.
“The idea being that we can make something that is super hearty, and has a really festive feel, but we can kind of make it in advance so I don’t have to make it the day-of,” De Laurentiis says in the video. Here’s how to make the Baked Bolognese.
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Here are the ingredients you will need to make thisBaked Bolognese, as listed on Giadzy’s website:
First, the mother-daughter duo chop up the onions, carrots and celery to add to the Bolognese sauce. In a Dutch oven on the stove, the veggies are added along with the butter, 2 tablespoons of olive oil and once cooked down, the beef.
“We’re going to break up the meat, we’re going to start to brown it and add some seasoning,” De Laurentiis says after adding the chuck to the pot, seasoning it with a pinch of salt while Jade breaks up the meat to cook.
While it’s all cooking down, De Laurentiis throws in a bay leaf for extra flavor. Then, she adds the Calabrian chili paste and tomato paste.
“It’s not spicy like red pepper flakes, it’s more like a warm, sweet flavor enhancer,” De Laurentiis describes the chili paste. Jade then pours in the milk, a traditional ingredient for Bolognese. Parmesan cheese and garlic are also added in. They let it cook for a couple of minutes, raising the temperature, until the mixture starts to bubble and thicken up. After mixing, they lower the heat and let the sauce simmer for 90 minutes.
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Once the sauce is done and the bay leaf is pulled out, De Laurentiis uses a metal spoon to remove the fat cooked off of the meat that’s resting on the top of the sauce. Then, it’s time to bake. De Laurentiis and her daughter ladle the first layer of sauce at the bottom of a baking dish.
Meanwhile, the pasta—they use nodi marini (sailors-knot shape)—is boiling on the stove. Per De Laurentiis’ suggestion, the pasta should be cooked until al dente. She mixes the pasta into the Dutch oven sauce before adding it to the baking dish. After adding all of the pasta and the rest of the sauce to the dish, Jade sprinkles on all of the mozzarella and Parmesan cheese on top. Before putting it in the oven, a drizzle of olive oil and a cup of pasta water is poured over the top.
In a 425° F oven, the cheesy Bolognese is baked for 25 minutes. Once ready, it’ll be golden brown, bubbly and “irresistible” to try immediately.
“You can make this for Christmas dinner or anytime during the holidays if you’re having a Christmas party, this is a great dish,” De Laurentiis says. “It makes your whole house smell so good.”
This is the perfect winter dinner that can be made for the holidays or in the Sunday dinner rotation. While time-consuming, the baked pasta will be worth the effort once you give it a taste. Plus, you can make the sauce ahead of time, only needing to boil the pasta and bake it in the oven the day of.
For more cheesy pasta recipes, check out theseThree-Step Pasta Bakes That’ll Keep You Warm and Cozy.
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