SAUCE

BEST BOLOGNESE SAUCE RECIPE

BEST BOLOGNESE SAUCE RECIPE
This Best Bolognese Sauce recipe is meaty mushroom version of the savory, classic meat-based sauce that originated in Bologna, Italy.
Traditional bolognese sauce (also known as ragù alla bolognese, or sometimes just ragù) is a slow-cooked labor of love made with a trio of meats (beef, pork, and pancetta), a soffritto (the holy trinity of Italian cooking consisting of finely chopped onions, carrots, and celery), white wine (some people use red although white is traditional in bolognese sauce), milk, and tomatoes. It tastes absolutely amazing and is totally worth the effort to make it from scratch, especially since this recipe makes a huge batch that can be divided and frozen for future use.
Not to be confused with a classic marinara sauce which is a simple, quick-cooking sauce highlighting the bright, acidic flavor of tomatoes, bolognese sauce is a slow-cooked, mouthwateringly savory meat sauce. Yes, there are still tomatoes in bolognese (and my version even uses more tomatoes than other recipes which famously only call for 3 ounces of tomato paste compared to 2 pounds of meat!), but much of the liquid in the sauce also comes from milk and wine (or broth if you don’t cook with wine), with a good amount of vegetables added in as well. Then it gets slowly simmered over a period of 4 hours until a thick, rich sauce is created and your kitchen smells amazing.

BEST BOLOGNESE SAUCE RECIPE
This Best Bolognese Sauce recipe is a meaty mushroom version of the savory, classic meat-based sauce that originated in Bologna, Italy. Also known as ragù alla bolognese, or sometimes just ragù, this slow-cooked labor of love is made with a trio of meats and a classic soffritto.
Ingredients
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 lb ground pork
  • 6 ounces pancetta, finely chopped
  • 12 ounces crimini mushrooms, chopped
  • 1 ounces dried porcini mushrooms, rehydrated in warm water for 30 minutes, then dried and chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 carrots, chopped
  • 2 celery stalks, chopped
  • 5 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup white wine
  • 2 (28 ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
  • 1 (28 ounce) can tomato puree
  • 2 cups milk
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 bunch fresh thyme
  • Flat-leaf Italian parsley, chopped
  • Parmesan cheese
  • Fresh tagliatelle pasta (if available)
Instructions
  1. Heat a large dutch oven or heavy saucepan over medium-high heat, and add 1 tablespoon of the oil. When hot, add the ground beef, ground pork, pancetta and chopped mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper. Brown, breaking up the meat and cooking until the mushrooms are cooked and the meat is no longer pink. Transfer the meat to a separate bowl and drain the grease from the pan.
  2. To make the soffritto, reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the dutch oven. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and mix together, cooking until the vegetables are soft begin to caramelize, about 10-15 minutes. 
  3. Add the garlic to the vegetables and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
  4. Add the wine to the soffritto and cook for 3 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan, until slightly reduced.
  5. Return the browned mushrooms and meat to the pan, then add in the crushed tomatoes, tomatoe puree, milk, bay leaves and thyme. Stir to combine, then bring to a simmer. Reduce meat to low and partially cover the dutch oven with a lid. Simmer for 4 hours, stirring frequently. 
  6. When the sauce has thickened, remove the bay leaves and thyme sprigs, then taste and adjust seasoning, adding more salt if needed. 
  7. When the sauce is ready, bring a large pot of water to a boil and season generously with salt. Add the fresh pasta and cook for just 2–3 minutes. Drain the pasta, then return to the pan and toss with however much bolognese sauce you would like. Remaining sauce freezes and reheats well and can be used in lasagna bolognese. Garnished with chopped Italian parsley and Parmesan cheese. Recipe Notes
Red wine can be used, but white is traditional. If you don't want to cook with wine at all, you can replace the wine with chicken or beef stock.