Pesto & Pepper Bucatini Bolognese

Pesto & Pep Buc Bolognese

Prep Time: 25 Min
Cook Time: 2 + Hours

Yields: 4 + Servings

What You Need

• 454g Dry Bucatini Pasta
• My Perfect Pesto Recipe

https://www.thehappyveg.ca/recipes/my-perfect-pesto-recipe

• ​1/4 C EVOO
• 1 Tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
• 3 cloves Garlic, crushed & minced
• 5 sprigs Fresh Thyme
• 1 Yellow Onion, finely diced
• 1 Shallot, diced
• 2 stalks Celery, finely diced
• 1 Carrot, peeled & finely diced
• 3 Bell Peppers (not green), finely diced
• 340g Beyond Meat Beef
• 2 Tbsp. Tomato Paste
• 1 C White Wine (I used Pinot Grigio)
• 3 Pres. Choice Plant-Based Chik'n Broth
• 1 C 2% Milk, room temperature
• 1 x Hard Cheese Rind
• 1/2 C Grana Padano, finely shredded
• 1/4 C Fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/2 Tsp. + Himalayan Salt
• Cracked Pepper
• GARNISH - Burrata, Grana Padano, Fresh Basil

Directions

• Begin heating the EVOO, garlic, pepper flakes, and thyme, in a large skillet set to just below medium heat. Once heated, let everything sizzle together for about a minute, stirring as everything sizzles away. Next, add the onion, shallot, carrot, celery, and all of the bell peppers. Season generously with salt & pepper, and let those veggies cook down about 10 - 12 minutes stirring occasionally. ​

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• Make a well in the center of the pan and drop in the Beyond Meat. Start breaking it down in to crumbles as it browns and let it cook about 5ish minutes before stirring everything together. Make another well, drop in the tomato paste and let that sizzle about a minute before stirring everything together in the skillet once again. Continue to cook another minute or so before pouring in the wine and letting it rapidly simmer until reduced by at least half. Pour in your broth & milk and bring the sauce to a boil. Once boiled, add the 1/2 tsp. salt and the cheese rind, reduce to a simmer, and cook for a minimum of 1 and a half hours. You should be looking at a thick, rich looking meat sauce. Continue to cook if needed to reduce appropriately. Pluck out the thyme sprigs and cheese rind prior to adding your pasta.​

• While the sauce simmers, prepare the pesto according to the recipe provided. Alternately, you could use your favourite store-bought brand.
• With 30 minutes or so left on the sauce, bring a large pot of cold, generously salted water to a boil. once boiled, add your bucatini and cook to just about al dente perfection. Once cooked, strain directly to the skillet with the sauce and start tossing it to combine everything and coat those noods. Let the skillet continue to simmer another couple of minutes, tossing until the noodles are perfectly cooked & saucy.
• Turn off the heat and add the parsley, grana padano, and at least 2/3 of the pesto. Ladle in some pasta water and toss until everything is combined and gorgeous. Taste and adjust the salt / pepper if needed and also, add additional pesto if desired.
• Serve up your portions and garnish with grana padano and fresh basil. Tear open some burrata and drizzle with EVOO. Season with a pinch of salt, pepper, and pepper flakes. ENJOY!

Quick Garlic Baguette

I whipped this up ever so quickly and it did the trick. You could always grill some toast and rub it down with garlic, or buy your fave store-bought garlic bread. Here's what I did;

• I used half a long, French baguette and cut it open. Drizzle the open parts with EVOO and season with salt, garlic powder, pepper flakes, dried oregano, some finely shredded grana, and a few pinches of fresh parsley. Get them on a baking sheet and broil until the bread is crisp on top and golden brown. Slice and serve!

HAPPY VEG