My parents both came from Italian ancestry, yet Bolognese was not something we ever ate. My family was from Southern Italy and Sicily, so it wasn't on the menu.
The first time I heard of it was when we lived in London, as it was a popular dish there on menus, although it did not resemble the rich, luxurious dish I came to know. It was just a mash up of ground beef and something resembling Hamburger Helper. True Bolognese comes from Bologna and has a great deal of depth and is somewhat time consuming to make. It does still resemble Hamburger Helper or a Sloppy Joe, but it doesn't taste like either dish. It is perfect for a weekend when you are relaxing by the fire with a glass of wine. Some people prefer to serve it with pappardelle or tagliatelle, but I still like the classic pasta, spaghetti with mine. I don’t eat a lot of pasta these days, but when I do, I want it to count and to be something I truly enjoy. Bolognese is one of those recipes. Try it yourself and see! I have played with a few recipes, and this is the version that I like best.
Ingredients
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
I celery stalk, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
3 tbsps. olive oil
1 lb. of a mix of ground veal, ground beef, and ground pork (often called Meatloaf Mix)
Sea salt
3 oz. pancetta, very finely chopped
1 cup white wine
1/3 cup tomato paste
Pinch of ground nutmeg
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup whole milk
1 lb. spaghetti (I like DeCecco)
Grated parmesan and crushed red pepper for serving
1. Chop onion, celery, and carrot finely or pulse in a food processor until finely chopped. Set aside in a small bowl.
2. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Break the ground meat up as you place it in the pot with a fork, season lightly with sea salt. Cook until the meat is lightly browned, about 6 minutes. Transfer meat to a separate bowl and set aside.
3. Wipe out pot and cook the pancetta over medium heat until it is crisp, about 6-7 minutes. Add onion mixture and cook until they are very soft about 6-8 minutes.
4. Return ground meat to pot and pour in the wine. Reduce heat to low and cook until the wine is evaporated, and meat is finely ground about 12 minutes. The meat should look like little bits. Add tomato paste and nutmeg and cook, until the tomato paste is darkened, about 5 minutes.
5. Pour the chicken stock and milk in the pot and add a little salt. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for about 3 hours. If the liquid reduces before the end of the cooking time, add an extra ½ cup of chicken stock and continue cooking.
6. Cook spaghetti using the directions on the box until al dente – about 10 minutes. I like to test it as it nears the end.
7. Using tongs, transfer the pasta to the pot with the completed Bolognese sauce and add ½ cup hot pasta water and ½ cup Parmesan cheese. Mix thoroughly and serve in bowls with more grated Parmesan and a topping of crushed red pepper.
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