About the Recipe
Bolognese was made famous in the Northern Italian city of Bologna, and the rich-thick sauce paired with pasta is now beloved worldwide. Ground meat, tomatoes, and herbs are combined to form a complex dish finished with freshly grated cheese.
Ingredients
1 pound pasta
Fresh tagliatelle is traditional, but any shape will work.
My favorite box pasta shape is Mezzi Rigatoni.
Mirepoix
2 medium onions
2-3 celery stalks
2 carrots
1/2 pound ground beef 80%-85%
1/2 pound ground pork 80%-85%
6 cloves garlic, minced
3 oz tomato paste
14 oz canned tomatoes
I like whole tomatoes best. If using, crush by hand into small pieces
White or red wine
1 cup chicken stock
2 bay leaves
5 sprigs rosemary
10 sprigs thyme
1/2 cup whole milk
Parmesan or Pecorino Romano
red pepper flakes (optional)
pinch of nutmeg or pumpkin spice (optional)
Preparation
Finely dice your mirepoix to evenly size pieces.
For size reference, you can aim for the size of a pea.
Heat a large pan to medium-high heat. Add in the ground beef and pork, and cook until a golden brown sear has developed. This should take about 7-10 minutes.
Remove the beef and pork. Add in the cubed pancetta or bacon and render the fat for 5-10 minutes (depending on your patience)
Add in the mirepoix and cook for about 15 minutes stirring frequently.
Your goal is to remove most of the moisture from the vegetables to concentrate the flavors.
Add in the tomato paste and cook for about 3 minutes to remove the raw tomato flavor and develop depth.
Add in the garlic and stir for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
Add enough wine to cover the bottom of the pan and reduce.
Add in the chicken stock, tomatoes, rosemary, thyme, and bay leaves.
Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer for 1 hour, stirring every 10 minutes or so to prevent burning.
After 1 hour, add in the milk. Continue cooking for another 1-2 hours. There should be very little liquid left when you are ready to combine with the pasta.
Optionally, you could place the sauce in the fridge overnight and combine with pasta the next day for even better flavor.
Bring water to a boil in a large pot for the pasta. Once the water is boiling, add salt to the water.
Boil your pasta according to the package directions until just short of al dente.
Reserve some pasta water and drain your pasta.
Add the pasta into the sauce along with grated cheese and stir. Add in some of the pasta water and continue stirring until the desired consistency is reached.
Serve your pasta topped with grated cheese and chopped parsley.