the best bolognese: buffalo ragu

Last Sunday was my grandad, Papa's birthday. To save him the embarrassment I'll leave his age out of it, haha! Usually we go out, but this year we thought it'd be nice to stay in and have the whole family over to celebrate. It worked out perfectly. We had lots of time to chat over drinks and hors d'oeuvres before moving into the dining room to enjoy our meal. Another wonderful thing? We sat at a table where you could hear the person sitting on the opposite end.

I decided on serving a pasta dish, because of the relative ease. The actual sauce took about 5 hours to cook, but there was very little last minute prep. All I had to do was cook the pasta and plate it! Before the pasta, we had that wonderful lowfat/cal Caesar salad, which was a hit with everyone! The pasta didn't disappoint either. And the dessert..... wow! Well, you'll see it soon enough.

Another reason to love this dish? It keeps in the freezer really well. Store it in airtight containers and freeze it — just make sure you write what it is on the outside to avoid any later confusion. We made a double batch for the party and had lots of leftovers, if my sister Katherine (she's in Auburn, AL) is lucky, she might get a frozen package again!

Buffalo Ragu, serves 4-5

• 1/2 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup white or yellow onion, diced finely
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 28 oz. can Centro tomatoes, whole or diced, NOT crushed
• 1/4 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
• 1 lb. ground bison
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 Tbsp fresh chopped basil

In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and add oil. When hot, add the chopped onion, salt and oregano. Cook for 7-9 minutes, until onions are tender. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add the canned tomatoes with juices, red pepper flakes and fresh cracked pepper. Let it simmer for 30 minutes. Once everything is really tender, use an immersion (or regular) blender to puree the sauce until it's smooth. If you want a chunkier sauce, use diced tomatoes and don't puree.

In a skillet over medium heat, brown the bison. Drain excess fat and add the meat to the slow cooker or Dutch oven. Add the sauce, 2 bay leaves and red wine to the slow cooker of choice. Stir well to make sure everything is well combined. Cook on high for 2 hours, or low for 4-5 hours. If using a Dutch oven, cook for 2 hours, covered, in a 350 degree oven. Stir once every 30-45 minutes. Stir in chopped fresh basil at the end.