Bolognese Recipe

Prep

Finely dice the onion, carrot and celery so pieces are roughly the same small size. Mince the garlic, chop pancetta if using, and blend the canned tomatoes in a blender or process until smooth if not using crushed tomatoes.

Sweat aromatics

Heat a large heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add olive oil and butter. When butter foams, add the diced onion, carrot and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 8–10 minutes. Add a pinch of salt to help draw out moisture.

Cook pancetta and garlic

If using pancetta or bacon, add it now and cook 3–4 minutes until it renders fat and becomes slightly crisp. Add the minced garlic and cook 30–45 seconds until fragrant, taking care not to brown the garlic.

Brown the beef

Increase heat to medium-high. Add the beef mince in batches, breaking it up with a spoon. Brown the meat until no longer pink and it begins to take on color, about 6–8 minutes. Avoid overcrowding — cook in two portions if needed. Use the spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom.

Add tomato paste and deglaze

Stir in the tomato paste and cook 1–2 minutes to caramelize slightly. Pour in the wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up browned bits. Let the wine reduce by half, about 2–3 minutes.

Add tomatoes and liquids

Add the blended tomatoes, stock, and milk to the pot. Stir to combine. Add bay leaf, thyme, oregano, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer.

Long, slow simmer

Reduce heat to low so the sauce is barely simmering. Partially cover and cook gently for 1.5 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally. If the sauce becomes too thick, add a splash of stock or water. Taste after 60–75 minutes and adjust seasoning; add sugar if the tomatoes taste too acidic.

Finish

About 10 minutes before serving, remove the bay leaf and stir in the torn basil and chopped parsley. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. If you prefer a smoother texture, use an immersion blender for a few seconds (optional) — retain some texture of meat and vegetables.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve about 1 cup of pasta cooking water before draining.

Add the drained pasta to the simmering Bolognese sauce and toss over low heat for 1–2 minutes, adding reserved pasta water a few tablespoons at a time as needed to help the sauce coat the pasta and achieve a silky consistency.

Divide between plates or bowls. Top with freshly grated Parmesan or Pecorino and an extra sprinkle of chopped parsley. Serve immediately.