Have you been holed up inside while an Arctic Blast surrounds you? Are you digging out from snow? Scraping freezing rain from your windshield? That meme, “January was a tough year, but we made it”, always seems to ring true, especially by the third week. Mother Nature is sure giving us lots of reasons to make a cozy pot of classic bolognese and enjoy a big bowl of pasta — life’s ultimate comfort food.
I met my best friend Anne when I was 12 years old, and was immediately smitten with her spectacular mom, and her mom’s cooking — namely chocolate chip cookies (slightly burned, the way I like them), and spaghetti sauce. This recipe is very close to Mama Beth’s, and I can almost smell it bubbling away in her kitchen: the sizzling mirepoix (don’t skimp on the veggies!), fragrant Italian herbs, chunky meat (we use turkey in this recipe, but Beth always used beef), and high-quality crushed tomatoes all come together to yield the most perfectly thick sauce. In college, Mama Beth made big batches for us to bring to our dorm, and Anne and I would eat it right out of the Tupperware, too lazy to boil any noodles.
Beth passed away in 2017 at age 69, after a devastating battle with Frontotemporal Dementia. She was one of the most vivacious and compassionate people I’ve ever known, who loved nothing more than creating community around a shared meal. Dining with Beth was one of my favorite things — whether she was cooking Thanksgiving dinner or ordering “one of every appetizer” on the menu. She would have loved our Supper Club.
May you stay warm and cozy, and taste a little bit of Mama Beth’s magic in this recipe.
