Rigatoni Bolognese Recipe

Prep

Finely dice the onion, carrot and celery (soffritto). Mince the garlic. Dice the pancetta or bacon small. Open tomatoes and crush by hand in a bowl; measure stock, milk and wine.

Sweat aromatics

Heat a large heavy-based sauté pan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the olive oil and butter. When butter foams, add the diced pancetta and cook 2–3 minutes until it begins to render fat. Add the diced onion, carrot and celery and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 6–8 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook 30–60 seconds until fragrant.

Brown the meat

Increase heat to medium-high. Add the ground beef and ground pork, breaking up with a spoon. Cook until meat loses its raw color and begins to brown, about 6–8 minutes. Do not overcrowd — if the pan is too small, brown in batches. Season with 3/4 tsp of the salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper as it cooks.

Tomato paste and deglaze

Push the meat and vegetables to the side and add the tomato paste. Cook the paste for 1–2 minutes, stirring, until it darkens slightly. Pour in the red wine to deglaze, scraping up browned bits from the bottom. Simmer until the wine reduces by about half, 3–5 minutes.

Add tomatoes and liquids

Stir in the crushed tomatoes, stock, and milk. Add the bay leaf, dried oregano, remaining salt and pepper, and sugar if using. Bring to a gentle simmer.

Long, gentle simmer

Reduce heat to low so the sauce barely simmers. Partially cover and cook for 1.25 to 1.5 hours, stirring every 10–15 minutes. If the sauce becomes too thick, add small amounts of stock or water. Taste and adjust seasoning toward the end of cooking; remove the bay leaf.

Finish sauce

If desired, use a wooden spoon to break larger tomato pieces for a smoother texture, or pulse briefly with an immersion blender for a more unified sauce. Stir in the grated Parmesan (reserve some for serving) and torn basil, and 1 tsp olive oil. Keep warm while you cook the pasta.

Cook rigatoni

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add 1 tbsp salt. Add rigatoni and cook according to package instructions until 1–2 minutes shy of al dente (usually 9–11 minutes). Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.

Combine pasta and sauce

Add the drained rigatoni to the warm Bolognese in the pan. Toss gently over low heat, adding reserved pasta water a little at a time to loosen the sauce and help it cling to the pasta (use as much as needed, up to 1 cup). Cook together 1–2 minutes so the pasta finishes cooking in the sauce and absorbs flavor.

Serve

Spoon rigatoni Bolognese onto warmed plates or a serving bowl. Sprinkle with remaining grated Parmesan and torn basil. Drizzle with the finishing olive oil. Offer extra cheese and freshly ground black pepper at the table.