I’m baaaaaaack! And full-fledged, so you better watch yo’self.
You might not recognize me right off the bat, not seeing pictures of rusty nails, dry wall and grout paste or whatever. And that’s okay! Even if it takes you some time to remember me and the actual food I post on this blog, I won’t cry enough to drown in it. I’m 16% sure of that.
So the new kitchen, oh my LORD. I seriously walk into it everyday and come to a screeching-oh-my-face-did-Bob-Barker-and-his-skinny-microphone-just-win-me-this-kitchen-paralyzed halt. It’s just so dang gorgeous. Who knew a room could have so much LIGHT. And everywhere! It’s like every little corner just dances with light and sings, “Look at me! Look at all this light! Grab this cute little bowl right here in this super cool wall pocket because it’s all lit up and stylish against this white wall and oh look at all of your colorful dishes on those rustic wooden floating shelves all lit up and it’s okay if you want to do the Electric Slide right now.” I pretty much freak out 75 times a day.
I’m planning on getting a full reveal post up by the end of the week to show you the room behind all of the freaking. We’re still working on the pot rack and a few other teensy things. But you just need to see it and do the Electric Slide with me.
Alright, so this here pasta dinner. I had to EASE back into cooking after eating take-out 47 billion times over the last 3-ish weeks. Things felt weird at first. My hand looked wonky holding the pepper grinder. My fingers forgot how to use tongs and they most definitely looked like Kristen Wiig’s tiny hands on the Lawrence Welk Show skit on SNL, minus the forehead and the bubbles. But things felleth into place a couple of glasses of wine in, and life doth resumeth.
And it resumethed pretty darn awesome in my mouth because this meal was TIGHT. I used bucatini for the pasta, which I totally love because of the teensy hole down the center. And since we were throwing our hands in the air like we just didn’t care, I used organic ground beef for the meat. The sauce is a combination of crushed tomatoes and fresh cherry tomatoes and spices and honey and herbs and wine and please make this.
Don’t even think about sharing.
Now I’m wishing we’d installed a bubble machine over the stove.
Beef Bolognese with Bucatini Pasta:
What it took for 4:
* 1 pound organic ground beef
* 1 Tbs. smoked paprika
* 1 pinch crushed red pepper
* 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
* 2 carrots, finely diced
* 2 celery stalks, finely diced
* 3 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 (1 lb 12 oz) can crushed tomatoes
* 1/2 cup chicken stock
* 1/4 red wine
* 2 Tbs. honey
* 2 Tbs. fresh herbs (oregano, thyme)
* 1 tsp worcestershire sauce
*1/2 cup halved cherry tomatoes
* 1 pound bucatini pasta
* coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
* fresh parmesan for garnish
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef and cook until browned all over, breaking up with a wooden spoon. Add a good pinch of salt and pepper, along with the smoked paprika and crushed red pepper. Sniff. Yes.
Add the onions, carrots and celery. Saute until the veggies have softened, 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute 1 more minute. Maybe toss in another pinch of salt. Yeah. Do that.
Add the crushed tomatoes, stock, wine, honey, herbs, and worcestershire sauce. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. After the simmering, taste it and add more salt and pepper if needed.
In the meantime, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the bucatini and cook until al dente. Drain and add to the sauce. Toss to combine.
Serve bolognese garnished with the cherry tomatoes, more fresh herbs and lots of parmesan cheese.
Taste that. Hurts so good.
so glad you’re back and that you love your kitchen so much! from the pics I’ve seen, it looks amazing!!!! i want to cook in it with youuuu! this pasta looks SO good. what’s up bolognese, twinsie
I don’t believe I’ve ever tried bucatini. Must try… since I’m a little obsessed w/ bolognese. Happy to have you back
Yay! Glad you are back!! Enjoy that new kitchen!
Hooray shiny new kitchen!! Glad you made it to the other side with only a small twitch in your eye and a smile on your face
Can’t wait to see the whole final review.
And btw, this looks amazing.
Welcome back! And what an EPIC return! Delicious!
YUM!! This looks fab! I can’t wait to see the whole thing! Soooo I’ll be by around 6?
Glad you’re back—and this doesn’t look like a funk to me!
This kitchen of yours sounds worthy of a serious case of jealousy. I’ve not seen it and I’m already jealous! Light??? In a kitchen?!?!? What??? That’s a serious luxury around here LOL
Glad that you’re back & cooking. The dish looks like a showstopper. The colors are gorgeous and make me want to dive right into that bowl.
I love bucatini, it’s the coolest pasta on the shelf! I’ve yet to make bolognese but it sounds amazing!
I cannot find bucatini ANYWHERE, but this recipe just makes me want to search for it even more!
Can’t wait for the reveal! I’m jealous already.
Oh, holy yum Bev! Definitely saving this to try soon! It looks so delicious and I have all the ingredients on hand. Matter of fact, I’ll maybe make it for dinner tonight!
I am chomping at the bit for the big kitchen reveal post!
HONEY?! You used honey in there and I love you for it. I am soooo doing my electric slide prep warm up right now…
Nothing like coming back with bang! I am so digging the pasta, it’s right up my carb loving alley. Nice work, chica!
Glad to have you back and glad to hear you love the new kitchen! I will slurp up some bolognese any day!
I pretty much would be happy if I could eat this for every meal for the rest of my life.
Mmmmm, meat sauce! You and Julie and making me crazy some good hearty pasta today.
This looks delicious! Perfect meal for getting back in the cooking groove. Can’t wait to see pictures!
Wow, so glad you’re back! Beef bolognese sounds like dinner tonight!
I’m so happy that you’re back in your NEW, GORGEOUS, AMAZING kitchen! I cannot wait to see the big reveal!!!!
Anywho, I love a simple pasta dish! So comforting & delicious!!!!
oh how lovely. I want to come to dinner
Mamma Mia! I love me some bolognese and this sounds like perfection! Also love the reference to the Lawrence Welk Show… hilarious and oh so creepy.
Looking forward to the reveal!
I can’t wait to see your new space… I bet it is gorgeous!!
This beef bolognese needs to become my friend… now. Yum!
Looks Delish!! Can’t wait for the big reveal!
I adore a good bolognese sauce! And this one is perfect!!
I’ll eat anything with Bolognese in the title, but this looks better than any I’ve ever had. Takes me back to my adventures in Italy… sigh.
Welcome back!! this looks divine!
So glad you’re back in the kitchen! And this pasta looks freakishly amazing. Julie just posted her bolognese pasta today and I just made bolognese for the first time yesterday! Great minds think alike
I’m dying to see the reveal! Hurry, hurry…
Welcome back. Oh, how I missed you! Until you tweeted with me on Thursday night when my heart was about to jump through my chest watching American Idol, tightly squeezing my 9-year old’s hand because my husband thought that the NFL draft was more important than Phillip Phillips.
And, for the record, he picked Phillip Phillips way back during auditions, so I will be squeezing his hand while he watches with me this week. 
I made this tonight and it was very tasty. My husband and my in-laws for fighting for the last bits and even more 16 month old girl ate it. Thank you for sharing, we very much enjoyed it!
I ended up making this last night and I realized you never mentioned when to add the fresh tomatoes. Or what the measuring unit was for wine. Altho it was obvious its supposed to be cup. It turned out pretty good! Just thought you might want to add that in
Oh my gosh thank you! Me = space cadet. I’m so glad you liked it!