If there is one thing that most Catholics will tell you, praying the Rosary is the most powerful weapon in our arsenal against the evils of the world. The problem is, most of us are lucky to pray a Rosary once a week let alone every day.
I have joked that if you want to pray a Rosary daily, use Hallow as your guide, and recite the Rosary with Mark Wahlberg. That man can recite an entire Rosary from beginning to end in about 15 minutes. Even with such motivation, I don’t always manage to pray the Rosary as often as I should. Like a lot of Catholics out there, I tend to grab my Rosary in times of panic or crises. Open heart surgery, clutch that Rosary. Turn on the news to learn children are gunned at a Catholic School Mass, light those candles and pray. Some mad-man sets a Mormon Temple ablaze, and starts shooting at people, run to Mother Mary for reassurances we aren’t next.
This is nothing new, the need to pray the Rosary when we are feeling frightened or vulnerable and seeking Divine Protection goes way back. The Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary came about when the Catholic Holy League managed to defeat the Turks in 1571. All of Europe at the time joined together per the request of the Holy See to pray. You can call it luck or Divine Intervention, the facts remain the same. Under the coordinated efforts of Pope Leo XIII, an alliance was formed between Spain, Genoa and the Papal States, giving rise to the Holy League. This league was entirely made up of Catholic men who answered a call to duty. The battle fought would go down in history as a miraculous naval battle fought almost entirely between rowing vessels. The victory at the Battle of Lepanto is seen as a turning point in Mediterranean expansion into Europe. It would take another century of wars to settle things completely. Still, people looked to the battle of 1571 for inspiration and a rally cry to carry on. Today this moment in history is remembered with the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary.
So many of us live comfortable lives, sheltered from the physical conflicts of war. This compliancy could be dangerous. There is another kind of war that has been raging for some time now. And at the moment, it seem the other side might be ahead. As followers of Christ, we know how the final battle will end. Yet no one knows the day or the hour of that final victory. Only prayer will brings strength enough to regroup and recharge. You can bet the evil one isn’t taking a day off. Blessed be those unafraid to speak up for faith.
One of my favorite sauces is what I like to call a Poor Man’s Bolognese. It’s made with ground beef instead of veal and bacon instead of pancetta. The heavy cream gives this sauce such a rich, silky finish. This is an Olive Garden inspired supper that can be cooked up at home. Enjoy. And don’t forget to let the wine breath a bit.
Poor Man’s Rigatoni Bolognese
1/2 cup Baby Carrots
1/2 Yellow Onion
3 Garlic Cloves
4 strips Bacon
1 lb Ground Beef
1 lb Ground Pork
1 (24 oz) jar Tomato Based Pasta Sauce
1/2 cup Red Wine
Italian Seasoning to taste
16 oz Rigatoni Pasta
1/2 cup Heavy Cream
Finely chop carrots. Cut onion in half from root to tip; reserve half for another purpose. Peel and finely chop remaining half along with garlic. Set aside until ready to use.
Stack bacon, cut lengthwise, then dice. Fry the bacon in a large skillet until nicely crisp. With a slotted spoon move bacon to paper towels to drain. Remove all but about a tablespoon of bacon drippings from the skillet.
Over medium heat, sauté the onion, carrots and garlic in the bacon drippings. Cook about 3 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add both the ground bee and ground pork to the skillet. Cook for about 15 minutes, breaking meat into smaller pieces as it browns. Drain off excess fat.
Add pasta sauce to the meat in the skillet. Pour wine into the empty jar of sauce, swirl to collect any remaining sauce, then pour into the skillet. Season with Italian Seasoning. Bring sauce to a full boil. Reduce heat to low, scatter bacon over the sauce. Let simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Stir as needed to prevent bottom from scorching.
Note: Sauce can also be transferred to a slow cooker and allowed to simmer for up to 8 hours if desired. Remove lid from slow cooker to allow sauce to thicken slightly during the last 30 minutes of cooking. Add cream at the end just before serving.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a rapid boil. Place pasta noodles into boiling water, stirring to keep from pasta from lumping together. Maintain boil to keep the pasta “dancing” throughout the cooking process. Cook al dente, about 5 minutes for fresh, 10 if using dried pasta. Drain noodles.
When starting the pasta, add enough heavy cream to the Bolognese Sauce to change the color to a pale reddish-pink color. Taste and adjust as needed. Sauce should be rich in flavors. Continue to simmer until hot. Serve over pasta, toss to mix.
For a true “Olive Garden” experience, serve Rigatoni Bolognese with copy-cat Parmesan Bread Sticks and Garden Salad.
Copy Cat Olive Garden Parmesan Breadsticks
1 box frozen Garlic Breadsticks
8 tablespoons Butter
1/4 teaspoon Garlic Salt
8 tablespoons Parm Shaker Cheese
Note: In the morning place the breadsticks in the refrigerator to thaw.
Heat oven to 450-degrees.
Melt butter, place in a shallow bowl or pie tin. In another shallow bowl of pie tin mix together the garlic salt and Parmesan Cheese (the stuff that is dry in the green shaker can).
Roll breadsticks in the butter, shaking off excess; then roll in the garlic mixture. Place on a baking sheet. Bake in the heated oven for about 3 minutes or until golden brown. Serve immediately.
Copy Cat Family Style Olive Garden Salad with Dressing
Copy Cat Salad
1 head Romaine Lettuce
1 cup Grape Tomatoes
1/2 Red Onion
6 Pepperocini Peppers
Italian Croutons as desired
Shaved Parmesan Cheese as desired
Copy Cat Dressing
1/2 cup Mayonnaise
1/3 cup White Vinegar
1 teaspoon Vegetable Oil
2 tablespoons Light corn Syrup
2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan Cheese
2 tablespoons shredded Romano Cheese
1/4 teaspoon Garlic Salt
1/2 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
1/2 teaspoon Parsley Flakes
1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
To Make The Salad:
Tear lettuce, scatter into a large bowl. Cut onion in half, reserving half for another purpose. Peel and thinly slice remaining half. Drain Pepperocini Peppers on paper towels.
Scatter tomatoes, and onion slivers over the torn lettuce. Toss to combine. Lay Pepperocini on top of the salad. Cover and chill until ready to serve.
To Make the Dressing:
Add mayonnaise, vinegar, oil, corn syrup, cheeses, garlic salt and Italian seasoning into a blender. Blend until well incorporated. Transfer dressing to a small pitcher. Add parsley flakes and lemon juice, whisk to blend.
Chill dressing until ready to serve.
Just before serving, add croutons, drizzle with salad dressing; toss to coat. Serve with additional Parmesan cheese and dressing on the side.
Blessed are those who hear the word of God
and observe it.
Welcome to Rosemarie's Kitchen 