It’s February. I’ve got a big pot of Bolognese sauce on the stove. I also have a notepad bursting with tips on how to cook Bolognese. Bolognese is winter comfort food of the first order. However, it’s supposed to be 78 degrees here all week, the flowers are blooming and those wacky birds are chirping their little beaks off. I have a weekend of gardening planned and it’s time to get the pool in shape for the season. It seems spring has sprung and I’m enjoying the sun it’s brung! So why then am I sitting here in a purple velour sweater making Bolognese?
Well, they do call this venue I spit words into the world WIDE web. So gosh darn it I feel a geographic obligation to consider the fact that it’s the very dead of winter in some parts of the world very near here. These tips on how to cook Bolognese are my way of saying I know what’s going on out there – it’s cold. I wouldn’t want to be accused of being an insensitive weather snob.
Well if the short shorts fit… GREG
How to Cook Bolognese Sauce
MEAT: I like 85% lean ground chuck or sirloin. Which is as much as 10% leaner than the ratio I prefer for burgers. However, unlike most burgers, Bolognese gets sweetened (and fattened) with a bit of ground pork. While we’re on the subject of pork, a little pancetta (or bacon) chopped into the mix adds a smoky flavor. It also adds more fat. While fat is flavor you don’t want a greasy sauce – excess fat can be skimmed at the end of cooking if necessary.
LIVER: In a true, old-school Bolognese sauce chicken livers are obligatory. They give a dark pungency that balances the sweet flavors. If you have liver-haters in the house don’t tell them; they won’t notice. However, truth be told, as much as I generally love chicken livers I usually skip them when making Bolognese, and my recipe reflects that. But I did want you to know.
VEGETABLES: Bolognese is a meat sauce primarily, but most traditional recipes include onions. I like to add carrot, celery and/or fennel for extra sweet depth too.
COOKING WINE: Almost any fruit forward wine will do. White wine blends into the sauce quietly and red wine lends a more assertive flavor that requires longer cooking. Try it both ways and see what you think.
MILK: What’s the single, best word to describe the pleasure of a great bolognese sauce? Rich. Milk adds an expected layer of richness. If you add it early and allow it to cook off before you add the tomatoes milk will not turn your Bolognese into a cream sauce.
TOMATOES: Canned San Marzano tomatoes are best. Fresh tomatoes have too much acidity. Tomato paste is just too concentrated. A lot of recipes recommend tomato paste in conjunction with some other sort of tomato, but I prefer a more mellow sauce. I find canned tomatoes alone color and sweeten the meat sauce without overpowering it.
NOODLES: Broad flat pasta noodles such as pappardelle and tagliatelle are traditional, but spaghetti became a popular noodle to serve with meat sauce in mid-century America. I don’t have a strong opinion and often choose a tube-shaped pasta when it’s all I have handy. However, I do ask that you don’t drown the noodles in sauce. A Bolognese sauce should hang on the noodles rather than smother them.
HERBS: Sometimes you see recipes that include fresh or dried herbs. Basil, oregano, and parsley come to mind, but Bolognese is that rare recipe where I don’t think they’re needed. For me, the best Bolognese is rich and soothing. Herbs bring fresh, assertive flavors that take away from the comfort. If you really think your Bolognese needs a strong counterpoint then make that statement with the wine you serve.
Wine Pairing
Produttori del Barbaresco, Barbaresco 2009
Price $30
Pairs well with roast meats, barbecue, game birds, hearty pasta, strong cheeses
WINE PAIRING: Barolo and Barbaresco are the king and queen of Italian wine. Both are made from the Nebbiolo grape, they have beautiful aromatics and a serious acid-tannin structure that work well with Bolognese sauce. If you don’t want to spend a lot of $$ then you can’t go wrong with Barbera. You might also want to consider something regional. Lambrusco is Bologna’s best-known wine. It sparkling and fun. It can range from pink and off-dry to dark, tannic and brooding. Look for one somewhere in the middle.
TIME: This is the most important ingredient. Bolognese isn’t fast food. You can’t bounce home late from work, brown some burger on the stove, slop in some tomato sauce while the spaghetti boils and expect to get a Bolognese worth eating.
And that, in my opinion, is how to cook Bolognese sauce.
To store: Transfer some or all of the cooled sauce to an airtight storage container. Cover and chill up to 3 days or freeze up to 3 months.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoon unsalted butter (divided)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 ounce pancetta or bacon (well chopped)
- 1 cup diced onion
- 1 cup diced carrot
- 1 cup diced fennel
- 2 pound ground beef (85% lean)
- 1 pound ground pork
- salt and cracked black pepper (as needed for seasoning)
- 3 cup dry white wine (you can also use red if you prefer)
- 2 cup whole milk
- 1/8 teaspoon finely grated nutmeg
- 1 (28 oz) can whole tomatoes, cut up (undrained)
- ½ cup Parmesan (plus more for serving)
- water as needed (2 to 3 cups total)
- 1 ½ pound pasta (cooked al dente and kept warm for serving)
Directions
Heat 2 tablespoons butter and olive oil in a 4‑quart Dutch oven set over medium-high heat. Add pancetta; cook and stir until just starting to brown, about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium. Add onion. Cook and stir until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add carrot and fennel. Cook 2 minutes more.
Add the beef and pork to the Dutch oven. Season generously with salt and pepper. Cook until browned, using a wooden spoon to break up the meat often. Add the wine and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Simmer, uncovered, until the wine has evaporated, about 50 to 60 minutes.
Add the milk and nutmeg. Simmer, uncovered, until the milk has evaporated, about 30 minutes, stirring frequently. Once the milk has evaporated, add the tomatoes and all their juice; stir to combine. When the tomatoes just start to bubble, reduce heat to low and add the Parmesan. Cook, uncovered, 2 ½ to 3 hours, stirring and adjusting seasoning occasionally. As the sauce cooks, the liquid will evaporate and the sauce will start to look dry. Add ½ cup water at a time (2 to 3 cups water total) and continue to simmer as the liquid evaporates. At the end no water should be left in the sauce. Toss with hot, cooked, drained pasta, adding the remaining tablespoon of butter. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan on the side.
How to Cook Bolognese
Definitely my husband’s favourite sauce. Surprisingly, I’ve never made it but now that I have your recipe (some pretty surprising ingredients), it’s on my bucket list! Anytime I use raw tomatoes in a sauce, I add a pinch of baking soda, it neutralizes the acidity beautifully!
BTW, I have that same pot, my favourite cast iron! I bought it when we first moved into this hood!
I’m surprised that you don’t keep your pool open all year round, I would have thought it would be warm enough!
We do keep the pool up all year, but this year we got it resurfaced! GREG
Greg — this is probably my favorite of Italian sauces, yet I am embarrassed that I have never made it. I also love that you have presented us with a truly authentic version — much appreciated!
PS — I tried several time to post this comment on my phone and iPad — and it went nowhere. Also on Ken’s wine post. Not sure what is up, just wanted you to know I am reading even if my comments aren’t making it through!
Thanks for this wonderful recipe! Enjoy your amazing weather and happy gardening!
Terrific tips on how to make a proper Bolognese and your own thoughts on slight modifications. I also understand where you are coming from with recipes fitting the season. Living in Florida where it never really gets cold, I still cook and blog about seasonal recipes that the majority of my readers might want to prepare.
I usually make an Italian-American style of meat sauce rather than a Bolognese. Just because. But this is one terrific dish. I usually skip the liver, too (and I like liver). And always add pork (add it to my meat sauce, too). This is terrific — you’ve really outdone yourself. And that’s hard to do! 🙂
Bacon, Beef, Pork.… SIGN THIS GIRL UP — I am definitely going to make that meat combo shine in my kitchen soon! 🙂
Bolognese isn’t really in my cooking repertoire, although it’s a regular staple of my choices on a menu. I’m really surprised at some of the ingredients!
I very much enjoy your site. Thank you !
I love the fennel add in.
I am from the Midwest and by virtue of moving to California, I am a insensitive weather snob. (and very happy about it)
And Manservant and I were just talking about who actually cooks anymore. He wondered if anyone still made real sauce. I’m so glad to tell him I found someone! Perfect!
This looks fantastic , I wish I read this before I made my tomato sauce yesterday.
Hi Greg! Great tips for making the “sauce.” Best! Bijouxs
Lovely! I can’t include liver, sadly. But I’ve tasted it with liver and it’s outstanding!