Suzie's Bolognese Sauce

▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil

▢ 4 garlic cloves crushed

▢ 1 onion finely diced

▢ 1 carrot finely diced

▢ 1 rib celery finely diced

▢ 1 pound extra lean ground beef

▢ 1/2 cup diced cooked ham

▢ 1/2 cup red wine

▢ 1/2 cup beef broth or 1 beef stock cube

▢ 28 ounces whole tomatoes with juice

▢ 4 tablespoons tomato paste

▢ 1 teaspoon parsley

▢ 1 teaspoon basil

▢ 1/2 teaspoon oregano

▢ 1 bay leaf

▢ ½ teaspoon salt or more to taste

▢ ¼ teaspoon black pepper or more to taste

▢ 1 lb. Pappardelle

In a large pot with a lid, cook onion in oil over medium heat until softened, about 3-4 minutes. Add garlic, carrot, and celery, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add beef and diced ham cook, breaking up with a spoon, until no pink remains.  

Add the wine and simmer uncovered until evaporated, about 10 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, seasonings, tomatoes with juice, and bay leaf. Break tomatoes up with a spoon. 

Cover and simmer on medium heat for 30-50 minutes or until thickened. Season with salt & pepper to taste. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1 ½ cups of pasta water. Toss pasta with sauce, adding pasta water to thin it out if needed. 

Serve hot with parmesan cheese.

Gnocchi with Caramelized Onion and Mushrooms

• 16 oz. Potato Gnocchi with Truffle or plain
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 2 large onions, sliced into about 1/4" thick
• 4 tsp honey
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 16 oz baby portabella mushrooms, sliced
• 4 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 tbsp Kosher salt (for the pasta water)
• 2 tsp black pepper
• 2 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp dried rosemary
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup dry white wine or chicken stock
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Freshly grated parmesan, for serving
• Additional salted butter for finishing
• Cook gnocchi according to package instructions, drain and set aside.

In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, heat the vegetable oil over medium-low heat and add the onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes until the onions begin to caramelize. Stir in the honey and baking soda and cook another 5 minutes, stirring constantly.

Raise the heat to medium-high and add the mushrooms and paprika. Cook until mushrooms are well browned, stirring often. Add the salt, pepper, thyme and rosemary. Pour in wine, making sure to scrape up all of the brown bits off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Once wine has reduced by half, add gnocchi and fold together. Add additonal salted butter for finishing.

Adjust seasoning and let cook for a few more minutes. To serve, add a scoop of pasta to a serving dish and garnish with parmesan.

SUPER EASY ZUCCHINI FRITTATA IN THE OVEN

Preheat oven to 350° F.

2 large zucchini, sliced into rounds (leave skin on)

1 flat tsp. spicy mustard

salt and pepper to taste

pinch onion powder

pinch garlic powder

8 eggs

1/2 cup half & half

1/2 cup or more grated parmesan

2/3 cup or more shredded cheddar cheese

cooking spray 

Make sure to slice the zucchini into uniform rounds for even cooking. You may want to pat them dry with a paper towel to remove excess moisture, as zucchini can release water during cooking. Layer them in a spray grease  a 9x12 pan with salt pepper, parmesan cheese in between the layers. Mix the eggs with half & half, mustard, salt and pepper, and you pour it gently over the zucchini. Sprinkle cheddar on top and bake it at 350° until it fluffs up and gets a little golden, about 45 min.

Susan's Gochujang BB Sauce - Yields about 2 cups