This is such a delicious, comforting meal that actually makes me feel like I know how to cook, even though this is not a traditional bolognese, and real chefs would probably side eye me for the way I make it. But I love it because it’s much faster, requires less ingredients, and is so nutrient-dense and SO GOOD.

This is a go-to recipe during my luteal & menstrual phases because it’s high in protein + iron. You could make this even more nutrient-dense by using a ground beef/organ blend, but that’s totally up to you!

Ingredients:

-1 lb ground beef
-2-3 medium carrots
-2-3 celery stalks
-1 medium-sized yellow onion
-2 tablespoons olive oil
-broth
-dry wine (I use red, but white is fine too. If you want to skip this, you can just sub for additional broth)
-1/2 cup milk (I use whole and sometimes if I don’t have milk on hand, will sub for additional broth)
-1 jar of pasta sauce (I typically use a vodka sauce or roasted garlic, but you can use anything you have on hand!)
-salt & pepper to taste
-pasta of choice (my fav is a brown rice pasta, but do your thing!!)

Directions:
-Peel the carrots, chop the celery, and onions
-Add to a food processor and pulse until evenly chopped small
-Heat a large dutch oven or pot to medium-low and add a high-heat olive oil (like this one) or avocado oil
-Add the ground beef, lightly coat with salt, and cook until mostly brown. Take out of pan and set aside on plate.
-In the pot, add the veggie mix and cook until soft. (6-8 minutes)
-Add the beef back in, along with 1 cup of wine and let simmer and cook down for about 10 minutes
-Add jar of sauce and broth, bring to a boil, and then simmer on low for 1-2 hours.
(The more you simmer, the more tender the beef will get and the more flavor!)
-The sauce should have a sloppy joe-type consistency, but if the liquid reduces too much, add more broth and continue cooking. Taste sauce and adjust seasoning with salt as needed