Tagliatelle Bolognese Recipe
beef and pork bolognese
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Ingredients
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Bolognese Sauce
Tagliatelle & To Finish
Method
Bolognese Sauce
- 1
- 2
Add garlic and pancetta
Add the minced garlic and chopped pancetta (if using). Cook 2–3 minutes until fragrant and the pancetta begins to render fat.
- 3
Brown the meat
Increase heat to medium-high. Add the ground beef and ground pork. Break up the meat with a spoon and cook until no longer pink and beginning to brown, about 6–8 minutes. Season with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and the black pepper as it browns.
- 4
- 5
Deglaze with wine
Add the wine and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let the wine simmer until mostly evaporated, about 4–5 minutes.
- 6
Build the sauce
Stir in the tomato paste, then add the crushed tomatoes and the 1/2 cup stock. Add the bay leaf and thyme. Bring to a gentle simmer.
- 7
Long, slow simmer
Reduce heat to low so the sauce barely bubbles. Partially cover and simmer gently for 1.5 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally. If the sauce seems to dry, add a few tablespoons of stock or water. Taste after 90 minutes and adjust salt (remaining 1/2 tsp) and pepper as needed.
- 8
Finish with milk or cream
About 5 minutes before serving, stir in 2 tablespoons of milk or cream to round the sauce and mellow acidity. Remove and discard the bay leaf.
Tagliatelle & To Finish
- 9
Cook pasta
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add 1 tablespoon salt. Add the tagliatelle and cook until al dente according to package instructions (usually 7–9 minutes for dry tagliatelle). Reserve about 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water before draining.
- 10
Combine pasta and sauce
Add the drained tagliatelle to the Bolognese pan (off the heat) or add sauce to the pasta pot. Add a few tablespoons of the reserved pasta water as needed and toss gently over low heat for 1–2 minutes until the pasta is coated and the sauce clings to the noodles. If the sauce is too thick, add more reserved water a tablespoon at a time.
- 11
Plate and serve
Divide the tagliatelle Bolognese among warm plates. Sprinkle each portion with freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and chopped parsley if using. Serve immediately.
