Winter is a great time for spending the day simmering a hearty tomato sauce, like a ragú Bolognese. Everyone seems to have their own version of a Bolognese sauce. Red wine? White wine? Veal? Pork? In some ways, this dish may reflect the culinary influence of the many cultures that influenced Bologna throughout history. Bologna, in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy, had Etruscan beginnings but has been variously occupied by Celtic, Roman, Germanic, and Papal rule over time.
This recipe contains the classic Bolognese ingredients of the soffritto trinity of carrots, celery, and onion. It has a mix of beef and pork, although you could use a single meat or a blend of others such as veal. I prefer red wine, but I don’t think using white wine would alter the dish substantially (I’m a big believer of using a good wine, and whatever you have on hand)! I made this version with cream because I had it in the refrigerator, but it’s also fine if you replace the cream with whole milk. A true Bolognese would not contain the bouquet garni of thyme, rosemary, and a bay leaf, nor would it contain the basil and marjoram, which I think really round this dish out. With a nod to the amazing Marcella Hazan, I did include nutmeg. This version is typically served with grated Parmesan cheese on top, but I love it with pecorino Romano. It is best when simmered for hours: 4 minimum, and 5 is better. It makes 10 servings, so you can eat it for several meals, and it also freezes well.
Traditionally, this dish is served over tagliatelle. It fares best with a wider noodle that can capture the hearty sauce, so I served it with pappardelle, which my kids love.
Ragú Bolognese
Equipment
- 7 qt dutch oven or large stock pan
- small square of two-layer cheese cloth
Ingredients
- 2 T olive oil
- 1 T butter
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 c carrot, finely chopped
- 1 c celery, finely chopped
- 1 lb beef
- 1 lb pork
- 1 c milk
- 1/2 c cream
- 1 1/2 c red wine
- 1 28-oz can good crushed tomatoes
- 1 28-oz can good whole tomatoes, chopped
- 6 oz tomato paste
- 8 oz tomato passata
- 6 oz chicken stock
- 1 t salt
- 1 t basil
- 1 t marjoram
- 1/4 t nutmeg
- 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
- 1 sprig of fresh rosemary
- 1 bay leaf
- black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Heat oil and butter over medium heat in heavy stockpot or large dutch oven. Add carrots, celery, and onion, and cook until onion is soft and translucent.
- Add meat, and cook until browned, breaking up into small pieces. Add milk and cream, and simmer until nearly all liquid has been absorbed. Then, add wine, tomatoes, tomato paste, passata, and chicken stock. Add salt, marjoram, a couple grinds of black pepper, and nutmeg. Stir well to combine.
- Take the small square of cheesecloth, and place the thyme, rosemary, and sage on top. Bring the corners together and tie to make a bouquet garni, and add to the pot.
- Simmer over low heat (only slightly bubbling) for 5 hours, stirring occasionally. Add basil within last hour of cooking. Adjust salt and pepper to taste before serving.