Rigatoni and fennel Bolognese

9
Points®
Total Time
47 min
Prep
15 min
Cook
32 min
Serves
6
Difficulty
Easy
This lightened version of Bolognese still has a good helping of lean ground beef and a big boost of flavor from the bacon, fennel, and Parmesan cheese. You can serve the Parmesan cheese on the side instead of stirring it into the sauce to keep an eye on the calories, if you prefer. You’ll need about 1/2 pound dry rigatoni to get 4 cups cooked. Also, if you've never used them before, crushing the fennel seeds releases their rich, aromatic flavor. To do so, place the fennel seeds between sheets of wax paper and pound with a wooden mallet, the end of a rolling pin, or the bottom of a heavy mug.

Ingredients

Uncooked 90% lean ground beef

¾ pound(s)

Uncooked turkey bacon

3 slice(s), chopped

Onion

1 medium, chopped

Uncooked fennel bulb

½ medium, cored and chopped

Carrots

1 medium, chopped

Garlic

2 clove(s), minced

Fennel seeds

1 tsp, lightly crushed

Canned crushed tomatoes

28 oz

White wine

½ cup(s), dry

Grated Parmesan cheese

¼ cup(s)

Black pepper

¼ tsp, freshly ground

Cooked rigatoni

4 cup(s), hot

Instructions

  1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef and bacon. Cook, breaking the beef up with a spoon, until the beef and bacon brown, 4–6 minutes. Add the onion, fennel, carrot, garlic, and fennel seeds. Cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are slightly softened, 5–6 minutes.
  2. Stir the tomatoes and wine into the skillet; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, 12–15 minutes. Remove from the heat, then stir in the Parmesan cheese and pepper. Serve over the rigatoni. Yields 2⁄3 cup sauce and 2⁄3 cup rigatoni per serving.