Pappardelle Bolognese Recipe
Pork and veal bolognese sauce.
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Ingredients
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Pasta
Bolognese Sauce
Finishing
Method
Pasta
- 1
Cook pasta
Bring a large pot of water to a vigorous boil. Add 1 tablespoon salt. Add pappardelle and cook until just shy of al dente according to package instructions (usually 7–9 minutes for dried). Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water, then drain the pasta and set aside.
Bolognese Sauce
- 2
Sweat aromatics
In a large heavy-bottomed skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat, warm 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter until butter melts. Add the diced pancetta and cook 3–4 minutes until it renders fat and begins to brown. Add the finely diced onion, carrot, and celery (soffritto) and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft and translucent, about 8–10 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook 30–60 seconds until fragrant.
- 3
Brown the meat
Increase heat to medium-high. Add the ground pork and ground veal to the pot, breaking up with a spoon. Spread meat in the pan and let it brown without moving for 1–2 minutes to develop color, then stir and continue cooking until no pink remains, about 6–8 minutes. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper as it cooks.
- 4
Tomato and deglaze
Stir in 2 tablespoons tomato paste and cook 2 minutes, stirring, to caramelize and deepen flavor. Pour in 3 tablespoons dry white wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up browned bits from the bottom. Let the wine reduce by half, about 1–2 minutes.
- 5
Add milk and tomatoes
Stir in 3 tablespoons whole milk and simmer 1–2 minutes. Add the 14 oz crushed tomatoes (or passata) and 1 cup stock, then add the thyme sprigs and bay leaf. Bring to a gentle simmer.
- 6
Simmer gently
Reduce heat to low so the sauce barely bubbles. Partially cover and simmer gently for 45–60 minutes, stirring occasionally. If the sauce becomes too thick, add up to 1/2 cup water or stock. Taste and add 1 teaspoon sugar if tomatoes taste too acidic. Remove thyme sprigs and bay leaf. Adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper to taste.
Finish & Serve
- 7
Combine pasta and sauce
Return the drained pappardelle to the pot or a large sauté pan set over low heat. Add 1 tablespoon butter to the Bolognese and stir. Spoon the sauce over the pasta (use as much as desired, typically most of the sauce) and toss to combine, adding reserved pasta cooking water a few tablespoons at a time as needed to loosen and coat the noodles evenly. Cook together 1–2 minutes to marry flavors.
- 8
Plate
Divide pappardelle among 4 warmed plates. Spoon any remaining Bolognese on top. Sprinkle each serving with freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and a pinch of chopped parsley. Finish with an extra grind of black pepper if desired.