The Most Exquisite Bolognese
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For this Bolognese ragù, I have you marinade the ground beef in a bit of heavy cream. This both tenderizes the beef and shortens the overall cooking time of the ragù. If you prefer to skip this step, add another 30-60 minutes of cooking time.
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
- 3 Tablespoons heavy cream
- 3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 2 ounces pancetta, or bacon finely chopped
- 1 large onion, finely diced
- 1 medium carrot, peeled, finely diced
- 2 celery stalks, finely diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- Kosher salt
- freshly cracked pepper
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1 28-oz can good-quality whole tomatoes, with their juice (I like to hand crush the tomatoes)
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- pinch of finely grated nutmeg
- 1 Tablespoon butter (optional)
- 1 pound pasta such as rigatoni, tagliatelle, papparedelle
- 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
Instructions
- Mix ground beef with 3 tablespoons heavy cream. Cover and place in fridge for 2-4 hours, or overnight. Note, if you skip this step, add another 30-60 minutes to the overall cooking time of the meat sauce.
- Pre-heat oven to 325ºF.
- Heat a large pan or Dutch oven, over medium-high heat. Once hot, add 1 tablspoon olive oil. Add the pancetta and sauté until golden brown, about 4-5 minutes. Stir in the onion, carrots, and celery, and sauté until softened, 5 to 8 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for another minute. Stir in the tomato paste and sauté until it starts to darken and caramelize, about 1-2 minutes. Remove the mixture to a plate and reserve.
- Add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil to the hot pan followed by the ground beef. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste. Cook, breaking lumps with a wooden spoon until browned, about 10 - 12 minutes.
- Return the reserved pancetta and onion mixture to the pot. Add the white wine and cook until the wine is mostly evaporated, about 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, milk, chicken stock, and nutmeg. Season with a pinch more salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste.
- Bring to a strong simmer then place the pan, uncovered, in the preheated oven. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until the sauce is reduced and thick. TIP: If the liquid reduces too quickly, add an extra ½ cup stock and continue cooking.
- Remove pot from oven and skim away any fat from the surface, if necessary. Stir in the butter, if using. Taste and a season with more salt, if needed.
- Cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. When the water is boiling, salt it with plenty of coarse salt and add the pasta. Cook a few minutes less than package instructions suggest.When the pasta is cooked, reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water (you likely won't use it all), then drain in a colander. Cook's tip: Reserve a few more cups pasta water for reheating leftover sauce.
- Add 1/4 cup pasta water to the meat sauce and stir.
- If you wish, and if you have the space, transfer the pasta to the saucepan, and toss to combine. Let the pasta cook in the sauce for a 1-2 minutes, adding a few more splashes of pasta water only if it seems a little dry. Alternatively, serve the pasta in bowls and top with the sauce.
- Serve with parmesan cheese on the side and red pepper flakes, if desired.
Notes
Cook on the stovetop: If you wish to cook the sauce on the stovetop, bring it to a strong simmer then reduce heat to the lowest setting. Cook, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until sauce is thickened and meat is tender, 1 1/2 - 2 hours. If the liquid reduces before the meat is completely tender, add an extra ½ cup stock and continue cooking. Taste and a season with more salt, if necessary.