When the weather cools and summer is all but gone some comfort food seems to lighten the spirits and brings back a smile to ones face. Being a warm weather person I fall into a bit of depression every fall when it is obvious that summer has passed.

This dish, coupled with a full bodied red wine makes the perfect casual dinner when a chill is in the air. The spiciness if the sausage, the heartiness of the beef (I grind my own organic beef), the earthiness of the mushrooms and the creaminess of the sauce really makes this dish one of my favorites.

Try adding some brie or buttermilk blue cheese at the end for a tasty and wonderful variation on this dish.

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Beef Rigatoni w/ white wild mushroom Bolognese

Printable version of this beef rigatoni recipe (word doc)

Yield - 6-8 portions

Ingredients:

½ - onion, diced

2 – carrots, diced

1 – celery rib, diced

1# - spicy pork sausage

1# - ground beef

1 ½ c - white wine

1c – heavy cream

1# - wild mushrooms, (chanterelles, oysters, lobster, etc. cleaned)

1t fresh thyme

1# - rigatoni

½ to ¾ c parmesan cheese

toasted breadcrumbs (opt)

Instructions:

1. Add 2T of the oil into a sauté pan and sauté the onions, carrots and celery for 3 minutes.
2. Remove the sausage from its casing and add this to the pan, break up and cook for 1 minute.
3. Add the ground beef and continue to cook.
4. Slice, chop or otherwise process the mushrooms and when the meat is cooked add them to the pot.
5. Add the thyme, salt and pepper and reduce the heat to medium.
6. Cook until the water has come out of the mushroom and has reduced by about ¼ of its volume.
7. Recheck the seasoning and add the cream, stir and reduce by ¼ .
8. To serve…add the cooked rigatoni to the sauce, toss in the parmesan cheese and top with the breadcrumbs.

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