Scoobi Doo Can Do Do but Jimmy Carter is Smarter

I have in fact, fully recovered. And boy did I have plenty to recover from. Aside from my little (ha!) illness it was play reading week last week at work. I lasted 5 readings, the good, the bad and the just plain ugly (and everything in between).

I called it a kind of survivor, I had to work until 5 or 6 then try to rush home for a very quick dinner and then rush back for an 8pm curtain. I did this through some pretty lovely snow storms somehow managing to eat out for only one meal that week (including lunches). But how?

MEAT SAUCE. It warrants capitals, it is a saviour. It is better than Aretha Franklin's Inauguration Hat. It is so much more than that. You need a Sunday to do it, but it is so worth it.

The recipe makes a lot and in truth I froze some for this week when I made the enchiladas you see in the very last picture. Rachael Ray offers 4 prepared recipes and a multitude of suggestions for this sauce, and I tried 3 of them. The Inside-Out Pizza (with homemade dough thank you very much!) fed Homer, me and our friends Michael and Ryan on the Sunday the sauce was made with leftovers for lunch the next day (no photo, the pizza roll though very tasty was not pretty). The pasta recipe I offer below fed Homer and I for 3 lunches and some dinner during last week. And then tonight we ate enchiladas (which fed us for dinner and then some lunches).

Recession I laugh in yo' face. Like Bruce Springsteen laughed in America's face this Sunday.

Meat Sauce

Adapted from Everyday with Rachael Ray February 2009

Makes 7 Cups

(You need about 3 hours total for this sauce)

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup chopped pancetta**

1 onion, finely chopped***

1 carrot, finely chopped***

2 ribs celery, finely chopped***

1 clove garlic, finely chopped****

2 pounds EXTRA LEAN ground beef

1/2 cup dry red wine

1 x 28 ounce can tomato puree

Salt and Pepper

** I used turkey bacon because our lackluster Loblaw's does not sell pancetta (I am sure the flavour would be better with pancetta but this was "healthier")

***Put all in a food processor and chop within an inch of its life.

****Tip, grate it on the smallest setting on a box grater to avoid being at the counter for the rest of your life mincing.

1. In a large, heavy pot, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the pancetta and cook until the fat is rendered, about 5 minutes. Increase the heat to medium, add the onion, carrot and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes (especially if you used the food processor). Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Increase the heat to medium-high, add the beef and cook, breaking it up, until no longer pink, about 8 minutes. Stir in the wine and cook until the liquid is cooked off, about 5 minutes.

2. Stir in the tomato puree and 1 cup of water; season with salt and bring to a simmer. Partially cover and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally for the last 30 minutes, until thickened, about 2 hours. Season with Salt and Pepper.

And here my loves is where the title comes from grab some Scoobi Doo Pasta and make this with your meat sauce. If you want healthier just use light feta and skim milk.