Recipe: Spaghetti Bolognese (low fat)

Spaghetti Bolognese (low fat)
UPDATING AN ITALIAN CLASSIC
From The American Institute for Cancer Research
By Dana Jacobi

Bologna, the jewel of Emilia-Romagna, becomes a rosy recollection as I think of the old part of this dignified, northern Italian city, with its softly glowing brick walls and 20 miles of generously arcaded streets.

Some of Bologna's shaded streets lead to startlingly bare, sun-drenched, squares that, on market days, become a billowing sea of white canvas umbrellas. Their protective shade shelters pyramids of ripe tomatoes glowing next to crimson radishes and garnet-black beets. Fruit vendors, as the season changes, offer brilliant strawberries and cherries as well as rosy-cheeked peaches and pomegranates. Other stalls are hung with huge cylinders of mortadella, the original inspiration for our bologna. Cut paper-thin, each slice of this fine-grained pink sausage is bigger than a dinner plate. Beneath a forest of mahogany and wine-red sausages, cuts of fresh beef and tulip-pink veal chill out next to carmine red, ivory-streaked spirals of pancetta, unsmoked bacon.

Famous for its rich, robust dishes, Bolognese specialties like Rag Bolognese, a meat sauce hearty enough to be a meal, come at too high a cost in fat and cholesterol for most of us these days. To be sensible, I have recast this centuries-old rag so it remains intensely satisfying but suits more contemporary tastes and health concerns.

Long-simmered, a hefty, traditional Rag Bolognese starts with a "soffrito," an aromatic base of finely chopped vegetables saut ed almost to a paste in oil and butter. Pancetta and wine deepen their flavor. Along with beef and pork, tomatoes and broth, some cooks add veal and chicken livers. After the sauce cooks gently to a moist bronze, cream or milk may add a final enrichment.

Building on the several cups of vegetables that start it off, this version is still profound and meaty, but far leaner. It is a sauce bold enough to pair well with whole wheat spaghetti, or enjoy on pasta di farro (an ancient form of wheat grown in Italy), available in specialty food stores.

8 oz. center cut pork chop
1 carrot, cut in 1-inch pieces
1 celery rib, cut in 1-inch pieces
1 medium onion, cut in 8 pieces
2 large plum tomatoes, seeded & chopped
2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. unsalted butter or olive oil
4 oz. ground sirloin or leanest ground beef
2 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
3 Tbsp. tomato paste
2 cups (15-oz. can) beef broth, defatted
1/8 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg
1 tsp. salt, or to taste
freshly ground pepper
8 oz. whole wheat or farro pasta (see Note)
grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Cut away bone and all visible fat from pork chop. Cut meat into thin strips, then chop finely with large, heavy knife. Set aside.

Finely chop carrot, celery and onion. Heat oil and butter in small Dutch oven or large, heavy saucepan. Add vegetables. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Saut until vegetables soften, 3-4 minutes. Stir in beef and pork. Breaking up beef with wooden spoon, cook until meat looses its raw color. Mix in vinegar. Cook until it has evaporated almost completely, 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in tomato paste. Add broth and nutmeg. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 1 1/2 hours, until meat is very tender and sauce is dark and rich. If too much liquid remains, simmer uncovered 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions, in boiling water that has been salted. Drain. Divide pasta among 4 pasta bowls or dinner plates. Ladle sauce on top and serve. If desired, pass Parmesan cheese.

Note: Pasta packages call for a 2 oz serving, which may seem skimpy but is filling.

Serves 4, each serving containing 411 calories and 11 grams of fat.