I got to use beer in a pasta sauce = I was happy.  I’ve used beer in chilis, but never in pasta, if anything a recipe would call for wine.  I think that the dark beer made the sauce richer, deeper and more robust.  My only change, beside the italics, would be to add more veggies.  As the recipe only called for onions, I served it with a big green salad…and an 2001 Robert Mondavi Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon…just to put the meal over the edge.  Decanted as it came out of our cold cellar, it was absolutely awesome…wish I had done some tasting notes!

Spaghetti Boloqesa

Ingredients:

1 pound ground meat

1 can (small) Ragu with mushrooms (I’m pretty sure it’s the Ragu brand in a glass jar!)

1 bottle any kind of beer (I used a 12oz bottle of Guinness stout)

salt and pepper

1/2 onion, chopped

McCormik Italian Herbs, to your taste (the whole darn package)

Olive oil (as needed to fry the onions and meat)

Directions:

Fry the onion in the olive oil, until it is transparent. Add the meat, with salt and pepper, and fry it until it is dry. Then, add the ragu sauce, the herbs and the beer. Let it simmer at low heat for about 30 to 45 minutes.

Pour this meat salsa over cooked spaghetti and serve with grated Parmesan cheese and bread with garlic butter

http://recipes.epicurean.com/recipe/1243/spaghetti-boloqesa.html