I don't believe I know anyone who doesn't like Pasta Bolognese. Maybe because even a Flexitarian (a vegetarian who cheats - Dad!) can't resist the comfort of this hearty pasta made with sauteed aromatics, ground meat and tomatoes.  Part of the appeal of this iconic Italian dish from the Bologna region of Italy is that it's simple, honest food. 

My love of this particular pasta goes way back to when I was a little girl in the 60's, growing up in Los Angeles. I am not Italian, so Pasta was not part of my family's cooking repertoire. Occasionally our six family members would pile into the big Cadillac (no seat-belts required) and trek across the city, from the Eastside to the Westside, to dine at Rudi's Italian Inn. It was Old School Los Angeles/Italian; dark rooms with no windows, red vinyl booths hugging the walls, Italian "oil" paintings of beautiful Sophia Loren looking women stomping grapes and serving wine, and wicker wrapped Chianti bottles displayed proudly on the booth corners and shelving. Once seated inside with our eyes adjusted to the dim, smoky interior, my parents would order their Martinis and we would immediately get a relish dish with ice cold crudites placed on the perfectly starched white linen tablecloth. Then came the delicious crusty sourdough bread and room temperature butter. No menus were required once seated. My dad and grandfather always got the short ribs. Grandma, the ravioli with meat sauce, which in the 60's was usually only found in Chef Boyardee cans. Mom and my sister and I would get the Spaghetti with meat sauce, which was slathered with Rudi's very special meat sauce. We loved the gravy texture and bits of meat. It was rich and delicious, its luscious aroma hitting our senses before the generous plate of spaghetti ever arrived to the table.  I'm sure by today's al dente standards the pasta was probably not the best, but we loved it.

Today, I am familiar with very good Italian cuisine, and I know if I put Rudi's meat sauce, aka, Bolognese, to a side by side test, an expert might deem it inferior to a true Bolognese. But, in those days every other Italian restaurant on the east side of town served really over-cooked, sticky spaghetti with a dark red, thin tomato sauce spooned on top and dry meatballs plopped over the noodles with Parmesan cheese shaken out of a can. By those standards Rudi's meat sauce felt really special and unique.  Nowadays, Bolognese ranks as my favorite comfort food and one of my favorite meals to make for family and friends. When preparing my Bolognese recipe, I can often recall the exact aroma of Rudi's meat sauce with its sweet, cheesy fragrance and the memory of it congers up childhood family lunches at Rudi's with my sister, parents and grandparents. Although I have tried, I have never been able to imitate Rudi's meat sauce.

In my research to find an old recipe from Rudi's I was surprised to learn there are a lot of people like me, who remember the meat sauce as the best they ever had. Some of them even spent time in the kitchen at Rudi's and remember details about making the sauce, which it turns out was time-consuming and very complicated. Perhaps the lack of availability of good Italian ingredients made for some long preparation. Now, when I make Bolognese in my own kitchen I follow a traditional recipe using beef and pork, but sometimes I make a healthier version by using turkey and whole wheat pasta. Traditionally a flat egg noodle is used to ensure all the meat sauce has a nice surface to rest on; Tagliatelle or Fettuccine are perfect.

Like Rudi's meat sauce, life for us kids in the 60's seemed simple and sweet, but it was actually complicated. I've learned over the years, that no matter how tricky life gets, cooking and eating together brings me back to the basic comforts of home, family and friendship. Below is my version of a delicious and fairly uncomplicated Bolognese for you to enjoy. Buon Appetito!