What does everyone have planned for Valentine’s Day? Are you spending a night out on the town, staying in with a romantic meal, or do you not plan on celebrating?
Because I’m sure you’re at the edge of your seat wondering what my husband and I will do, we’re staying in and plan on enjoying a nice meal and vino together. I say “plan on” because I just caught our son’s cold, my husband threw out his back this weekend and is still on the mend and to top it all off, our house is a mess.
Things are pretty crazy around here, but I know we’ll try our best to enjoy some delicious eats at home. While I would have loved to go out, we’ve had our share of date nights lately and we’re both looking forward to laying low at home.
We’re still in the midst of deciding exactly what we want to cook. It’s a big deal! Do we go the seared steak route, or scallops, or pizza? The possibilities are endless. I pretty much always result to suggesting making some sort of pasta, so we will see what recipe I find this time.
If you’re like me and are crazy about pasta for any occasion, this fettuccine with lamb bolognese sauce is such a fancy, romantic meal to enjoy. The sauce cooks for a while, but if you’re able to plan in advance, you can make it the night before and won’t have as much to clean the night of! This dish is SO good and best served with a nice pile of grated parmigiano reggiano on top.
If you end up making this, don’t forget to tag #marinamakeseats!
Fettuccine with Lamb Bolognese
Ingredients
- 6 oz of prosciutto
- 1 pound of ground lamb
- 2 large carrots, chopped into small pieces
- 1 stalk of celery, chopped into small pieces
- Quarter of a sweet onion, chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- Salt
- Pepper
- 2 teaspoons of fresh oregano, chopped
- 28 oz can of crushed San Marzano tomatoes
- 1 cup of chicken broth
- 1 cup of white wine
- 1/3 cup of heavy cream
- 1 pound of dried fettuccine
- Grated parmigiano reggiano
Directions
Heat a large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add prosciutto to the pot and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, until the prosciutto is crispy. Remove prosciutto and set aside on a plate.
Add the ground lamb to the same pot along with the carrots, celery, sweet onion, garlic, 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Cook the lamb and veggies for 5-7 until the meat is browned and cooked through. Using your hands, crumble the prosciutto and add it back to the pot. Add the fresh oregano and cook for another minute.
Finally, add the San Marzano tomatoes, chicken broth, white wine and an additional 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Stir to combine and raise the heat to bring the mixture to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cook for an hour and a half.
After cooking for an hour and a half, add the heavy cream and cook for an additional fifteen minutes.
Right before the sauce is ready, set a large pot over high heat. and bring to a boil. Add about a tablespoon of salt to the water and add the fettuccine. Cook for the directed al dente time on the box and drain.
Place the pasta back in the pot and add heaping spoonfuls of the sauce (don’t add it all because you might be able to save or freeze some!). Serve the pasta in bowls or on plates and top with grated parmigiano reggiano.
Marina Makes 