Description
Classic Tagliatelle alla Bolognese (or pappardelle alla Bolognese) is as good as pasta gets. A rich slow-simmered beef, pork, and tomato Italian ragù with extra flavor from sofrito and the addition of white wine, milk, and beef stock tossed together with wide ribbons of buttery egg-rich pasta -- this is one of the most delicious Italian pasta sauces of all time. This Bolognese sauce recipe is based on the official Italian Academy of Cuisine's original recipe and it couldn't be easier to make. Double, triple, or quadruple this sauce to freeze it or to make the best homemade Lasagna alla Bolognese.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (28g)
- 2 medium onions, finely diced (9.5 ounces) (270g)
- 2 celery stalks, finely diced (3.5 ounces) (100g)
- 2 medium carrots, peeled, finely diced (6 ounces) (170g)
- 2 garlic cloves, smashed (optional but not traditional)
- 1/2 cup (4 ounces) Mutti finely chopped canned tomatoes (118g)
- 1 pound ground beef (454g)
- 6 1/2 ounces cubed pancetta, finely chopped (188g)
- 1/2 cup dry white wine (118g) (pinot grigio, sauvignon blanc, pinot gris, etc.)
- 2 to 3 cups low-sodium homemade beef stock, or store-bought (240-720g)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste, or to taste (28g)
- 1 cup whole milk, or more to taste (240g)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 3 to 4 ounces of tagliatelle, fettuccine, or pappardelle egg pasta per person (80g-100g)
- grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Grana Padano (for serving)
Instructions
- Render the fat from the pancetta. Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat and add the pancetta and cook for approximately 15 minutes to allow some of the fat to render.
- Sauté the vegetables. Add the onions, celery, carrots, and smashed garlic (if using) and sauté for 8-10 minutes, or until soft and onions are translucent. Season with salt to taste
- Cook the beef. Add the beef breaking it up into small pieces with the back of a spoon, season with salt, and sauté until browned and cooked through with most of the liquid evaporated, about 15 minutes.
- Deglaze the pan with wine. Add wine while scraping the browned bits (the fond) from the bottom of the pan. Let the mixture cook for 3 minutes for the alcohol to evaporate. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, beef stock, and salt to taste and stir to blend. Reduce heat to the lowest setting and gently simmer, stirring occasionally for approximately 2 hours. Season with salt and pepper to taste. *do not add too much salt at this stage (before the long simmer time) because as the ragù cooks the flavors reduce and concentrate including the salt.
- Add the milk. Add milk to the sauce and cover with a lid left slightly ajar and continue simmering over low heat, stirring occasionally, until milk is absorbed, about 45 minutes to 1 hour, adding more stock 1/4 cup at a time only as needed to thin it out. Turn off the heat, adjust the seasonings, while your pasta cooks.
- Cook the Pasta & combine it with the sauce. Cook pasta in lightly salted boiling water according to the package directions, stirring occasionally. Just before the pasta is finished cooking, add about 1/4 cup of starchy pasta cooking water to the sauce set over medium-high heat and stir to combine. Add a little more starchy water if needed until you reach the desired consistency, but don't add too much as it could dilute the sauce flavors. Turn the heat off and add the noodles quickly tossing them to coat. Serve with freshly grated cheese, Enjoy!
Notes
- Substitute low-sodium chicken stock (homemade or store-bought) for the beef stock.
- Make the ragù ahead. It can be made up to 3 days in advance. Chill uncovered until cold, then cover in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to use. Reheat and use for layering in Lasagna Bolognese or to make a steaming bowl of pasta alla ragù Bolognese. Alternatively, the ragù can be frozen for up to 6 months and thawed in the fridge overnight before you need to use it in a recipe.
- When dicing the vegetables, try and cut them to approximately the same size so that they'll cook evenly together.
- The amount of veggies used can vary. According to the official Bolognese recipe, equal amounts of onion, carrots, and celery should be used equalling 50g of each. I love onion and the very sweet carrots we have in Italy, so I used more of these two veggies than the celery. But feel free to make it the official way if you'd prefer.
- If you don't have tomato paste, add 1/2 cup (118g) of finely chopped tomatoes bringing the total amount of finely chopped tomatoes to 1 cup (240g).
- Do not oversalt. Be sure to season the vegetables, beef, and sauce as the ingredients are added and cooked so that each layer of this ragù is properly seasoned. However, be careful not to over-salt the sauce in the beginning because as it cooks the liquid will reduce and evaporate somewhat which concentrates the flavors and intensifies the salt. Remember, you can always add salt but can never take it away.
- I typically end up using 2 1/2 to 3 cups of broth in this sauce, but it's also great and perhaps a bit more tomatoey if you only use 2 cups of broth. If you're making this for the first time, start with 2 cups and increase by 1/2 cup portions as desired. Be sure to record how much you use, so you'll know the next time you make this sauce (because you'll definitely be making it again if you love it as much as we do!).
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours
- Category: Pasta
- Method: Braised & Simmered
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3 to 4 ounce serving
