All meat sauces are not created equal. While there's nothing wrong with tossing some ground beef into your favorite tomato sauce, there happens to be a much better, more authentic way to prepare a meat sauce that will sort of take your breath away. Believe me-- this is coming from the person who likes ground meat less than just about anybody I know. One caveat: It is a labor of love. Nothing particularly complicated-- just time consuming. For this reason, I created this recipe to make a huge batch...perfect if you're serving a large crowd, or so you can use half now and freeze the rest for later.
Bolognese sauce hails from Bologna, Italy- right near where we are currently living. Around here, it is often referred to simply as ragù, and is served with broad noodles such as pappardelle, fettuccine, or tagliatelle. Never with spaghetti. Spaghetti noodles are too thin for the chunky meat sauce to stick too. It's all about geometry when it comes to pasta, but I'll save those details for another post. Bolognese is not really a tomato sauce with meat. It is a meat sauce with tomato. In fact, the liquids in the recipe are equal parts whole milk (no substitutions--the whole milk provides the creaminess needed for this recipe, plus the lactic acid in the milk helps to tenderize the meat), white wine, and tomato juice. The result is a thick, rich, complex sauce that complements the meat perfectly without overpowering the main ingredient. By using equal parts ground beef, pork, and veal, the meats combine to result in an immensely tender and flavorful sauce that holds its own on pasta without the need for any Parmesan or added seasonings. Please try not to substitute all-beef in this recipe. I can tell you that I tried it and the results were much more oily, less tender, and lacking in flavor. Not at all worth the time involved.
PrintBolognese (Ragù alla Bolognese)
- Total Time: 7 hours
- Yield: Serves 12 1x
Ingredients
- ¼ cup (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter
- ½ cup minced celery
- ½ cup minced onion
- ½ cup minced carrot
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ pound lean ground beef
- ½ pound lean ground pork
- ½ pound lean ground veal
- 3 cups whole milk (no substitutions)
- 3 cups dry white wine
- (3) 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes in juice
- (2) 14.5-ounce cans crushed tomatoes
Instructions
- In a large, enameled cast-iron pot over medium heat, melt the butter. Add celery, onion, carrot, and salt and saute until soft, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add meat to pot, breaking it up with a wooden spatula, and cook until no pink remains.
- Pour in 3 cups whole milk and bring to a simmer.
- Continue simmering about 35 minutes until all the milk has evaporated, stirring occasionally.
- Add the white wine and bring to a simmer. Continue simmering about 35 minutes or until all the wine has evaporated, stirring occasionally.
- Add tomatoes and their juices to the pot. Stir to combine and bring to a very gentle simmer.
- Continue simmering very gently over low heat until all liquid has evaporated and sauce is thick, about 3 ½-4 hours.
Notes
**Serve with fresh fettuccine or other broad pasta of your choice. Toss cooked pasta with sauce, adding in a bit of reserved pasta water to thin the sauce slightly. This recipe as written will sauce 3-4 pounds of cooked pasta.
Sarah
Reading your posts is making me nostalgic for the months I spent in Italy (Firenze) during college. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Mandy
Thanks for reading, Sarah! I haven't made it to Firenze yet, but we are going in a couple of weeks. Can't wait! Any tips?
Thalia @ butter and brioche
I am definitely craving a massive bowlful of this delicious bolognese right now, it looks amazing!
Mandy
Thanks, Thalia! It is pretty incredible. I'll be making it again soon. I have some stashed in my freezer too! Thanks for visiting!
amallia
wow the Bolognese looks so yum...! Thanks for the step by step instructions. :-)
Mandy
Thanks so much for visiting, Amallia!