Bowtie Bolognese

A few weeks ago I had an Italian night with some of my lady friends.  I have to say I was a little more than embarrassed with how the food came out.  I made Bruschetta to start, Spaghetti Bolognese, Garlic bread, simple salad and attempted a Turtle Cheesecake - this did not turn out well at all.
I purchased noodles from Terra Cotta Pasta and I was less than thrilled with the fresh pasta.  I really do think it's time to start learning how to make my own.  I don't think I chose the right flavor/kind of noodle, either way I don't think it made a wise choice for the sauce.  
Well, we dined and somewhat enjoyed the meal, certainly enjoyed each other's company and a large bottle of red wine.  I have to say, it wasn't that bad, but certainly not up to par with what I expected of myself.  I made an awful lot of sauce so I had a chance to freeze the leftovers for a rainy day.
Imagine my surprise when we defrosted the sauce to use for an easy meal with Barilla, Bow-tie Pasta, and it was delicious!  We slowly defrosted the sauce in the fridge, dunked the container in a little warm water to loosen it and slowly heated the sauce on the stove until warm and bubbly.  We tossed the pasta and the sauce over a low heat, spooned into bowls and topped with fresh parmesan cheese. Excellent meal! Enjoy [see the link above for the recipe from Mario Batali]!

[more on my attempt with the cheesecake at another time, I think I should attempt regular cheesecake first!]