Bolognese

4h
Serves 1
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Directions

  1. 1Start by finely chopping one large onion in a food processor using small pulses, ensuring it's fine but not mushy.
  2. 2Add one large carrot to the food processor and chop finely.
  3. 3Add three stalks of celery to the food processor and chop finely.
  4. 4Melt butter in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat.
  5. 5Add the finely chopped onion to the pot and let it soften for a few minutes.
  6. 6Add the finely chopped carrots and celery to the pot.
  7. 7Season the vegetables with salt and pepper, tasting as you go.
  8. 8Allow the vegetables to cook until they are soft and sweet.
  9. 9Add 1 lb of 80/20 ground beef and 1/2 lb of ground pork to the pot with the vegetables, breaking it up as you add it.
  10. 10Season the meat mixture with salt and pepper.
  11. 11Pour 2 cups of whole milk into the meat and vegetable mixture.
  12. 12Let the milk cook out completely, which will take approximately 20 minutes.
  13. 13Pour 2 cups of dry white wine into the mixture.
  14. 14Cook down the wine completely, which will also take about 20 minutes.
  15. 15Grate a scrape of nutmeg into the mixture.
  16. 16Add a 28-oz can of whole tomatoes, crushing them with your hands as you add them to the pot.
  17. 17Add a little water to the sauce.
  18. 18Tuck in a sprig of thyme into the sauce.
  19. 19Simmer the sauce on the lowest possible heat for three hours, adding a splash of water if it starts to dry out or burn.
  20. 20Turn off the heat once the sauce has reduced to a paste-like consistency.
  21. 21Taste the sauce for seasoning and adjust if necessary.
  22. 22Remove the thyme sprig from the sauce.
  23. 23Transfer most of the bolognese sauce into a Tupperware container for storage.
  24. 24Boil water in a separate pot and add salt to it.
  25. 25Cook pasta (pappardelle shown) in the salted boiling water until it is a minute or two away from al dente.
  26. 26Transfer the pasta directly from the boiling water into the bolognese sauce.
  27. 27Add a little pasta water to the sauce and pasta mixture.
  28. 28Turn up the heat and toss the pasta with the sauce for about a minute.
  29. 29Add a little more pasta water if needed to achieve desired consistency.
  30. 30Stir in a lump of butter at the very end to make the sauce glossy and help it stick to the pasta.
  31. 31Serve the pasta in a bowl.
  32. 32Spoon extra sauce around the pasta.
  33. 33Grate fresh Parmesan cheese over the pasta.
  34. 34Add more fresh black pepper if desired.

Ingredients

  • 1 large onion
  • 1 carrot
  • 3 celery stalks
  • lump butter
  • 1 lb ground beef (80/20)
  • 0.5 lb ground pork
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 2 cups dry white wine
  • scrape nutmeg
  • 28 oz can whole tomatoes
  • sprig thyme
  • salt
  • pepper
  • pasta
  • pasta water
  • Parmesan cheese

Equipment

food processorheavy-bottomed pottongsgraterTupperware

Tips

  • Finely chop vegetables, preferably using a food processor.
  • Allow all liquid from milk and wine to cook out completely before adding the next liquid.
  • Simmer the sauce on very low heat for 3 hours, adding splashes of water if it dries out.
  • Only add Parmesan cheese at the very end when serving.