bonappetit4.6
Best Bolognese
It doesn’t take a lot of ingredients (or a lot of money) to make a classic Bolognese recipe. What it does take, though, is patience for the sauce to achieve the ideal authentic texture. You’re going to go low and slow—it’ll take around 3 hours, but most of that cook time is hands-off.
👥 4 Servings🔥 Cook: 35 min👤 Andy Baraghani📖 bonappetit
🥘 Ingredients
Check off ingredients as you prepare them:
🍳 Cookware
- ●bowl
- ●food processor
- ●pot
- ●dutch oven
- ●oven
- ●wooden spoon
📝 Preparation Steps
1
Pulse 1 medium onion, chopped, 1 celery stalk, chopped, and 1 small carrot, peeled, chopped, in a food processor until very finely chopped. Transfer to a small bowl.
medium onion, chopped1(or more) homemade chicken stock or low-sodium chicken broth2 cupscelery stalk, chopped1
2
Heat 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil in a Dutch oven or other large pot over medium. Break 1 lb. ground beef chuck (20% fat), patted dry, into small clumps (about 1½") and add to pot; season lightly with kosher salt. Cook, stirring occasionally but not breaking meat apart, until beef is lightly browned but not crisp, 6–⏱️ 8 minutes. It may be gray in spots (that’s okay!) and still a little pink in the center. Using a slotted spoon, transfer beef to a medium bowl.
. extra-virgin olive oil3 Tbsp(or more) homemade chicken stock or low-sodium chicken broth2 cups. ground beef chuck (20% fat), patted dry1 lbKosher salt
3
Wipe out pot. Cook 3 oz. thinly sliced pancetta, finely chopped, in same pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until pancetta has released some of its fat and is crisp, 6–⏱️ 8 minutes. Add reserved onion mixture to pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are very soft and beginning to stick to surface, 6–⏱️ 8 minutes.
. thinly sliced pancetta, finely chopped3 oz(or more) homemade chicken stock or low-sodium chicken broth2 cupsmedium onion, chopped1
4
Return beef to pot and pour in 1 cup dry white wine. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, smashing beef with a wooden spoon, until wine is evaporated, surface of pot is almost dry, and meat is finely ground, 12–⏱️ 15 minutes. (The meat should be reduced to what looks like little bits. It takes a bit of effort, but you can take breaks.) Add ⅓ cup tomato paste, 1 bay leaf, and one pinch of finely grated nutmeg and cook, stirring occasionally and still pressing down on meat, until tomato paste is slightly darkened, about ⏱️ 5 minutes.
dry white wine1 cup(or more) homemade chicken stock or low-sodium chicken broth2 cupsbay leaf1Pinch of finely grated nutmeg
5
Pour 2 cups chicken stock or broth and 1 cup whole milk into pot; add a pinch of kosher salt. Reduce heat to the lowest setting and cook, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until meat is very, very tender, 2–2½ hours. There shouldn’t be any rapid bubbles at this stage. Instead, the sauce should release the occasional small bubble or two. When finished, the pasta sauce should have the texture of and look like a sloppy joe mixture. If the liquid reduces before the meat is completely tender, add an extra ½ cup stock and continue cooking. Discard bay leaf. Taste sauce and adjust seasoning with salt; keep warm.
(or more) homemade chicken stock or low-sodium chicken broth2 cupswhole milk1 cupKosher saltbay leaf1
6
Cook 1 lb. fresh tagliatelle or pappardelle, or dry rigatoni, in a large pot of boiling salted water. If using fresh pasta, cook about ⏱️ 3 minutes. If using dry, cook until very al dente, about ⏱️ 2 minutes less than package directions.
(or more) homemade chicken stock or low-sodium chicken broth2 cups. fresh tagliatelle or pappardelle, or dry rigatoni1 lb
7
Using tongs, transfer cooked pasta to pot with sauce. Add 1 cup pasta cooking liquid and 2 oz. finely grated Parmesan cheese (about ½ cup). Increase heat to medium, bring to a simmer, and cook, tossing constantly, until pasta is al dente and liquid is slightly thickened, about ⏱️ 2 minutes.
(or more) homemade chicken stock or low-sodium chicken broth2 cups. finely grated Parmesan (about ½ cup), plus more for serving2 oz
8
Transfer pasta to a platter and top with more Parmesan cheese. Do Ahead: Sauce can be made 4 days ahead. Cover and chill. Editor’s note: This Bolognese sauce recipe was first printed in our January 2019 issue. Head this way for more of our best pasta recipes →
Reviews & Ratings
Share your thoughts and feedback about this recipe
Write a Review
Community Feedback
0 ReviewsLoading reviews...