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Prep time
30 minutes
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Cook time
2 hours
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Serves
4-6
Author Notes
This is an old world Italian recipe that my family has been making since I was a child. I have made this one also numerous times, it's my go-to Bolognese. I have adapted it from the book Italian Regional Cooking by Ada Boni. This is not your weeknight kind of Bolognese. This is the Sunday afternoon kind that needs to slowly develop its flavors and reduce down to a delicious companion to whatever pasta you want to use. I love it with pappardelle because they are a larger noodle that stands up well to this hearty meaty stew. It's not a sauce, Ragù means stew in Italian. Many Bolognese recipes you find out there are drowning in tomato sauce. Those aren't Bolognese, actually all they are is meat sauce. They are distinctly two completely different animals. So open an afternoon bottle of nice red wine and sip it as you work on this pot of OG goodness and finish it when you enjoy your dinner. —Fab
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Ingredients
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6 tablespoons
butter, divided
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2 1/2 tablespoons
olive oil
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1
yellow onion, finely chopped
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1
carrot, finely chopped
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1
stalk celery, finely chopped
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3 ounces
pancetta, finely chopped
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8 ounces
ground pork
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8 ounces
ground beef
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1
Italian suasage, casing rmoved
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2-3
anchovy fillets
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2/3 cup
dry white wine
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1 tablespoon
kosher salt
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1 teaspoon
ground black pepper
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4 tablespoons
tomato paste
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1 1/4 cups
beef stock
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4 tablespoons
half & half
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16 ounces
package pappardelle
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parmesan cheese
Directions
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Heat half the butter and all the oil in a high sided frying pan over low heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and pancetta. Fry until the vegetables soften and begin to change color.
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Create a space in the center of the pan and add the anchovy fillets to the exposed area of the pan. Let them heat up for a moment then tap them gently so they dissolve, then mix them well into the rest of the vegetables.
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Add the pork, beef, sausage meat and fry these gently until they begin to brown, crumbling them up as small as possible while they cook. Moisten with the wine and cook until it evaporates. Season with 1 tablespoon of kosher salt and 1 teaspoon of black pepper.
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Dilute the tomato paste with a little stock. Stir this into the sauce, cover and cook slowly over low heat, stirring from time to time and gradually adding the rest of the stock.
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After the sauce has been cooking for 1 ½ hours, stir in the half & half and continue cooking until it reduces. Finally add the remining butter and stir until melted and thoroughly mixed into the sauce.
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Cook pappardelle according to package directions. Put about 2 cups of sauce in the bottom of a large serving bowl. Remove pasta from water with tongs and add to bowl. Mix well using pasta water as needed to create a silky and smooth sauce. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
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Put remaining ragù in a serving bowl and use to top individual plates. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
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