Tag Archives: award shows

A perfect bowl for pasta

Awards season is truly underway now with the Oscar nominations being announced earlier this week. There were definitely some surprises on the list — how many of the nominated films have you seen? There’s still a few weeks to catch up on everything. But this Sunday is the Screen Actors Guild Awards. Awards ceremonies are renowned for being long and the nominees and audience members have to make due with whatever snacks they can fit into their tiny purses or pockets for the duration. But afterwards they flood into the tent for the gala — this year the theme of the party is Old Hollywood glamour with a modern twist, with film reels on the wall, ashtrays from the Stork club (for ornamental use only of course) and expansive bouquets of dramatic calla lilies. There will be four buffet stations, and while normally the food at these event is as over-the-top as the gowns, at the pasta station this year the celebs are being served a raviolini Bolognese that would be easy and appropriate food to eat while watching the awards.  A plate of cured Italian meats and some nice breadsticks can be put out to start and then serve up your own pasta in shallow Annieglass Roman Antique Gold bowls for a bit of old-style Hollywood glamour.

Raviolini Bolognese Recipe

Photo by erix!

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 1 carrot, finely diced
• 1 celery rib, finely diced
• 3 ounces thickly sliced pancetta or bacon, finely diced
• 1/4 pound ground beef
• 1/4 pound ground veal
• 1/4 pound ground pork
• 4  garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/2 cup white wine
• One 28-ounce can peeled Italian tomatoes— chopped,  save the juices
• 1 cup chicken stock
• Salt and fresh ground pepper
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 2 lbs of cheese-filled raviolini — or ravioli or tortolinni

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion, carrot, celery and pancetta or bacon and cook over low heat,  until the vegetables are softened but not browned, about 8 minutes. Put the vegetable mixture into a large bowl.
2. Add the remaining olive oil to the saucepan. Add the ground meats and cook over medium heat until the mixture is cooked through and no longer pink. Return the vegetable mixture to the saucepan along with the garlic and wine and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and their juices, the chicken stock and season with  generous pinches of salt and pepper and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover let simmer for about an hour. Stir in the heavy cream and cook the sauce just until heated through.
3. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta and drain. Return the drained pasta to the pot and toss with the sauce. Serve. Enjoy!