The Best Homemade Bolognese
This shortcut bolognese comes together so easily in less than 1 hour, skipping that all-day simmer. And it freezes and reheats like a dream!
Ingredients
- 1 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 medium sweet onion, diced
- 1 carrot, peeled and diced
- 1 celery rib, diced
- ¾ pound ground beef
- ¾ pound ground pork
- 4 ounces pancetta, diced
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¾ cups dry red wine
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 (15-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
- 1 pound pappardelle pasta
Equipment
Instructions
- Melt butter in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, carrot and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add ground beef, ground pork, pancetta, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Cook until browned, about 5-8 minutes, making sure to crumble the beef and pork as it cooks; drain excess fat.
- Stir in tomato paste, garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, nutmeg and cinnamon until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Stir in wine, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
- Stir in milk. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until reduced, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in crushed tomatoes. Bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer, covered and stirring occasionally, until thickened and flavors have blended, about 20 minutes.
- Stir in parsley; season with salt and pepper, to taste.*
- In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions; drain well.
- Serve immediately with bolognese sauce.
Notes
- Use a blend of beef and pork. Pork has a higher fat content than lean beef, keeping the meat moist and tender during the simmering process.
- Tomato paste adds so much flavor. Tomato paste adds body and richness in small amounts without adding too much liquid to the sauce. Opt for tomato paste in a tube, using up only what you need at a time without having to open up a whole can.
- Choose a wine you will drink. A medium- to full-bodied red wine (chianti, shiraz or syrah) is great here – it does not have to be anything fancy or overpriced. Just something you don’t mind sipping on since you will have an open bottle.
- Use whole milk. Whole milk is a key ingredient in bolognese. The dairy helps cut down the acidity of the red wine and tomatoes, tenderizes the meat, and yields a rich, creamy sauce. A low-fat alternative will result in a lighter sauce. Substituting a plant-based milk is not recommended.
- Flat pasta is ideal. Flat pasta such as tagliatelle, pappardelle or fettuccine have surface area to effectively hold up chunky meat sauce. Rigatoni is also a great option as its ridges are sturdy enough to hold up a meaty sauce.
- Sauce the pasta. Add the pasta directly to the pot of bolognese sauce, tossing and coating well. This is key for saucing the pasta, ensuring that the sauce clings to the pasta and absorbs all the flavors.
- Serve with crusty bread. Serve with all the homemade crusty bread or garlic knots for dipping, sopping and dunking.