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Ingredients
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Ragu (Bolognese)
Pasta & Finish
Method
Ragu (Bolognese)
- 1
Prepare soffritto
Heat a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the olive oil and butter. When the butter melts and begins to foam, add the diced onion, carrot, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and just beginning to color, about 8–10 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for 30–45 seconds until fragrant.
- 2
Brown the meat
Increase heat to medium-high. Add the ground beef and pork to the pan, breaking up with a spoon. Cook until the meat is mostly browned and no longer pink, about 6–8 minutes. Season with 1 teaspoon of the salt and 1/2 teaspoon of the pepper while it browns. Do not crowd the pan — if needed, brown in batches for better caramelization.
- 3
Add milk
Lower heat to medium. Stir in the milk and let it simmer gently until mostly evaporated, about 5 minutes. This mellows the acidity and tenderizes the meat. Stir in the grated nutmeg.
- 4
Deglaze with wine
Add the white wine and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Simmer until the wine has mostly reduced, 3–4 minutes.
- 5
Tomato and simmer
Stir in the tomato paste and cook 2 minutes to caramelize slightly. Add the crushed tomatoes (or passata), stock, bay leaf, thyme sprigs, remaining salt and pepper, and optional sugar. Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to maintain a very low simmer. Partially cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 1.5 to 2 hours until thickened and flavors meld. If the sauce reduces too quickly, add a splash of stock or water. Taste and adjust seasoning at the end, removing the bay leaf and thyme stems.
Pasta & Finish
- 6
Cook pasta
Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the pappardelle and cook until just shy of al dente (follow package times minus 1 minute). Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water before draining.
- 7
Finish sauce with pasta
Add the drained pasta to the ragu in the pan over low heat. Add up to 1/2 cup reserved pasta water as needed to loosen and help the sauce cling to the pasta. Toss gently for 1–2 minutes until the pasta is fully coated and finishes cooking in the sauce.
- 8