Pasta Bolognese
Bolognese is a rich, meat-centric sauce that originates from the city of Bologna, the culinary epicenter in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. Traditionally, this 18th-century dish is served with flat, broad pasta, such as tagliatelle, fettuccine, or paradelle, instead of spaghetti, as it is in the United States, which provides more surface area to soak up the sauce. Ragu alla Bolognese, which goes by the moniker Bolognese, consists of butter, pancetta, ground pork, veal and beef, milk, cream, tomato passata, tomato paste, and a hefty portion of sofrito: carrots, onions, and celery, which gives this dish its signature flavor. Occasionally, mushrooms are added. What is unusual is that no herbs (basil or oregano) or seasoning beyond salt and pepper, such as nutmeg or garlic, are used. Bolognese is the very definition of a “low-and-slow” dish requiring at least 5 hours of cooking (prep not included) time, to properly tenderize the meat and create its requisite depth of flavor.
Tomatoes act as a background note, and only hot water (never chicken or beef stock) is added when the sauce gets too thick, which is usually several times during the long-simmer process. A labor of love, Bolognese is usually reserved for special occasions or weekend family dinners.
This recipe is homage to the original; milk and cream are added to keep the meat tender, balance the acidity of the tomatoes, and ensure a creamy, rich texture will be achieved in the finished dish. This culinary hack also reduces the simmer time from five hours to two hours without any compromise in taste (although it only gets better with time!). To create this deeply satisfying, complex sauce, a variety of culinary techniques-sautéing, braising and simmering are incorporated into the cooking process. If you want to omit the dairy, increase the simmer time and up the tomato paste. Pair with porous, fresh, flat, and broad egg noodles, or imported Italian dry fettuccine, paradelle, or thick rigatoni noodles.
Pasta Bolognese
Serves: 4 as a main; makes 10 cups of sauce
Sauce Ingredients
4 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
1 small yellow onion, peeled and cut into a small dice, about 1 cup
1 tsp. kosher flake salt
½ tsp. ground black pepper
3 large carrots, peeled and finely chopped
3 stalks of celery, cut into 1/3-inch slices
5 large garlic cloves, peeled and grated into purée
¼ tsp. red pepper flakes
½ cup dry white wine
8 oz. double-concentrated tomato paste
1/2 lb. ground beef,
1/2 lb. ground pork
1/2 lb. ground veal
½ cup dry white wine, divided use
¾ cup 2% milk
2 Tbs. heavy cream
28 oz. San Marzano Italian peeled tomatoes
Garnish
¼ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/4 cup of finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
Sauce Preparation
Add oil to a heavy-bottomed, 5-quart pot on medium heat till sizzling. Add chopped onion and drizzle with a pinch of salt and black pepper. Sauté till translucent and soft, about 4 minutes.
Add carrots and celery and sauté till soft. Add the grated garlic and sauté for 30 seconds.
Add ½ cup of white wine and tomato paste to the veggies and stir to combine. Sauté till liquid is reduced by half, stirring often.
Add the three ground meats, breaking them up in the pot with a wooden spoon into smaller pieces. Sauté ground meats and veggies, stirring frequently till no pink color is visible in the meat, about 5 minutes.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and pour milk and cream into the pot. Stir often with a wooden spoon till the milk is almost evaporated, about 30 minutes.
Add tomatoes and stir to combine. Sauté for at least 2 hours (3 hours is best), adding very hot water to the pot if the sauce gets too thick.
Pasta Preparation
1 package of imported Fettuccine, Rigatoni, or Pappardelle
Bring a large pot of water on high heat to a rolling boil. Add 1 tablespoon of salt and pasta. Stir with a wooden spoon to break up pasta and cook per pasta manufacturer's instructions for al dente.
Drain pasta and place a serving-size portion in a bowl. Add 1 cup of sauce per serving of pasta and toss to coat.
Plate pasta and top with an additional 1/3 cup of Bolognese sauce. Sprinkle with cheese and parsley, then serve.
