Pappardelle Bolognese Recipe

Cook pasta

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add 1 tablespoon salt. Add the pappardelle and cook according to package instructions until al dente (usually 6–9 minutes for dried). Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta and set aside.

Finish with butter

When sauce is ready and just before serving, add cooked pappardelle to the sauce (or add sauce to pasta). Stir in 2 tablespoons unsalted butter and enough reserved pasta water (start with 1/4 cup, add more as needed) to loosen and help the sauce cling to the pasta.

Prepare aromatics and soffritto

In a large heavy-bottomed sauté pan or wide Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat until butter foams. Add the finely diced onion, carrot, and celery (the soffritto). Cook gently, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are very soft and translucent, about 8–10 minutes. Add the minced garlic and chopped pancetta; cook 2–3 minutes until pancetta releases fat and garlic is fragrant.

Brown the meats

Increase heat to medium-high. Add the ground pork and ground veal, breaking up with a spoon. Cook until the meat loses its raw color and begins to brown in spots, about 6–8 minutes. Season with 1 teaspoon sea salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper while cooking. If the mixture releases a lot of fat, spoon off and discard excess, leaving about 1–2 tablespoons in the pan for flavor.

Add milk

Reduce heat to medium. Pour in 1 cup whole milk and simmer gently, stirring, until the milk has mostly evaporated and the mixture looks creamy, about 6–8 minutes. Stir in a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg. If you want a slightly thicker finish, sprinkle 1 teaspoon flour over the meat and stir to combine during this stage.

Deglaze with wine

Add 3 oz dry white or red wine to the pan and raise the heat to medium-high to bring to a simmer; scrape up any browned bits from the bottom. Let the wine reduce until almost evaporated, about 3–4 minutes.

Add tomatoes and simmer

Stir in 14 oz crushed tomatoes and 1 tablespoon tomato paste, mixing thoroughly. Add 1 cup low-sodium stock, 1 bay leaf, and 1 thyme sprig. Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to low so the sauce barely bubbles. Simmer uncovered (or partially covered) for at least 1 hour, preferably 1.5–2 hours, stirring occasionally. If sauce gets too thick, add splashes of stock or reserved pasta water to maintain a saucy consistency.

Season and finish

During the last 10–15 minutes of simmering, taste and adjust seasoning: add 1 teaspoon black pepper (if not added earlier), 1 teaspoon sugar if tomatoes are too acidic, and more salt if needed. Remove bay leaf and thyme sprig. Stir in a final knob of butter (1 tablespoon) for shine. Keep sauce warm until ready to toss with pasta.

Combine pasta and sauce: Add the drained pappardelle to the bolognese in the pan (or add sauce to a large mixing bowl with pasta). Toss gently over low heat to coat, adding reserved pasta water as needed to achieve a glossy, clingy texture.

Plate and garnish: Divide among 4 warmed plates. Sprinkle each portion with 2–3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and a light scattering of chopped parsley. Finish with a drizzle (optional) of 1 teaspoon good olive oil and a grind of black pepper.