Bolognese Recipe

Prep

Finely dice the onion, carrot and celery (mirepoix). Mince the garlic. Dice the pancetta. Measure out liquids and spices so everything is ready.

Render pancetta and sweat vegetables

In a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, heat 2 tbs olive oil and 1 tbs butter over medium heat until butter foams. Add diced pancetta and cook 3–4 minutes until translucent and slightly browned. Add diced onion, carrot and celery and a pinch of salt. Reduce heat to medium-low and sweat the vegetables, stirring occasionally, about 8–10 minutes, until they are softened but not browned. Add minced garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.

Brown the meat

Increase heat to medium-high. Push the vegetables to the side and add ground beef and ground pork in an even layer. Let meat brown without disturbing 2–3 minutes, then break up with a wooden spoon and cook until no longer pink, about 4–6 minutes. Season with 1 tsp black pepper and 1 tsp of the salt. Stir to combine with the vegetables.

Tomato base and deglaze

Add 3 tbs tomato paste and cook, stirring, 2–3 minutes to caramelize and remove raw tomato taste. Pour in 1/2 cup dry white wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up browned bits from the bottom. Let wine reduce by half, about 2–3 minutes.

Add liquids

Pour in 28 oz crushed tomatoes, 1 cup stock, and 3/4 cup whole milk. Stir in bay leaf, 1/2 tsp oregano, 1/2 tsp thyme, remaining 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp sugar if using. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat.

Long, slow simmer

Lower heat so sauce barely simmers. Partially cover the pot with the lid slightly ajar. Simmer gently, stirring occasionally and breaking up any chunks, for 1.5 to 2 hours until sauce has thickened and flavors have rounded. If sauce reduces too quickly, add up to 1/2 cup water or stock to maintain a saucy consistency.

Finish and season

About 10 minutes before serving, discard the bay leaf and stir in fresh basil if using. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt or pepper as needed. Stir in 1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Pecorino off the heat for richness, or reserve for serving.

Make pasta dough

On a clean work surface mound 2 cups flour and make a well in the center. Crack 3 eggs into the well, add 1 tsp olive oil and 1/2 tsp salt. Using a fork, beat the eggs and gradually incorporate flour from the inside walls until a shaggy dough forms. When no more flour can be mixed with the fork, use your hands to knead the dough for about 8–10 minutes until smooth, elastic and slightly tacky. If dough is too dry, add up to 1 tsp water; if too sticky, sprinkle up to 1 tbs flour.

Rest

Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap or put in a covered bowl and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. This relaxes gluten and makes rolling easier.

Roll and cut

After resting, divide dough into 4 portions. Keep unused portions wrapped to prevent drying. Flatten one piece and run through a pasta machine or roll with a rolling pin to desired thickness (for tagliatelle/ pappardelle, roll to about 1–2 mm). Dust with semolina to prevent sticking. Fold and cut into ribbons of desired width (tagliatelle ~7 mm; pappardelle ~25 mm) or pass through the machine cutter.

Cook fresh pasta

Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil (about 1 tbsp salt per 4–6 quarts). Add fresh pasta and stir gently. Fresh tagliatelle will cook in 2–3 minutes; thicker ribbons may take 3–4 minutes. Test for al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water before draining.

Toss with sauce

Add drained pasta to the simmering Bolognese in the pot (or return sauce to a sauté pan large enough to toss pasta). Add 1/4–1/2 cup reserved pasta water as needed and toss over low heat for 1–2 minutes so pasta finishes cooking in the sauce and absorbs flavors. Adjust consistency with additional pasta water if needed. Serve immediately topped with extra grated Parmesan and a drizzle of olive oil if desired.