Spaghetti Bolognese with Blackened Seared Tomatoes

I started out to make another dish entirely but as I was searing the tomatoes, I felt my vitality drain right out through my feet.  I had outrun my available energy and needed to lay down.  My hysterical illness does that to me when I attempt too much.

So, there is a pan full of blackened grape tomatoes that needs to become dinner and my husband steps in to turn it into his classic spaghetti bolognese.  I can't tell you exactly what went into this particular sauce since I was in another room with my feet up but from what it tasted like and what we had in the house, I can make an educated guess.

Sauce Bolognese with Blackened Seared Tomatoes

I know it started with a pint of grape tomatoes, halved, and placed skin side down in a very hot, dry, cast iron skillet.  The skin will blacken and the juices will begin to evaporate.  Don't stir, or stir ever so carefully if necessary, because if the juices drip into the skillet, they will burn and cause everything to stick.  When the skins are blistered and blackened and the flesh of the tomatoes has started to collapse, drizzle heavily with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher or sea salt.  Stir to coat the tomatoes.

Add 1 medium white or yellow onion, diced, and 3 cloves of garlic, minced. Sprinkle with salt and let sweat until the onions are mostly opaque.  Add a double handful of white or brown mushrooms, halved and thinly sliced. Sweat with the tomatoes and onions until the edges of the mushrooms develop a golden crust and the onions are translucent.  Add 1 lb ground beef, salt, pepper, and stir to break up the beef into tiny bits.

When the beef begins to brown, stir it up and add chopped fresh herbs, a handful each of oregano, basil, thyme.  When the herbs have become fragrant, add a long splash of white wine, and 1 15oz can Muir Glen tomato sauce. Stir and let simmer while the pasta cooks.

Pasta Tips

Cook pasta in plenty of water, crowding the pasta in the pot results in gummy noodles.  Salt the water well before adding the pasta but do not add oil.  The salt will be absorbed into the pasta, improving the taste.  Oil in the water will inhibit that osmosis.  Pasta should be cooked until the noodle will give to the pressure of the tooth when biting but not be still crunchy in the middle.  Do not overcook.  Err on undercooking because further cooking can take place after mixing with the sauce.  Drain but not vigorously, leave a bit of starchy cooking water to the noodles and do not add oil.  This starchiness binds the sauces to the pasta, helping to marry the flavor of the sauce to the noodles themselves. Toss the drained pasta into the sauce and toss to coat--if there isn't room in the sauce pan, return the pasta to the pot it was cooked in an add the sauce.  Add grated parmesan or romano at this stage so that it melts easily and incorporates well, becoming an integral part of the sauce itself.