Rigatoni Bolognese Recipe
Recipe information
Make Rigatoni Bolognese in just 2h . Get the full recipe with step-by-step instructions at pekinthechef.com.
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Ingredients
Bolognese Sauce
Pasta & Finishing
Bolognese Sauce
1. Prepare aromatics
Heat a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add olive oil and butter; when butter melts and foams, add diced onion, carrot, and celery. Sweat the vegetables, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 8–10 minutes. Add minced garlic and chopped pancetta/bacon and cook 2–3 minutes until fragrant and pancetta begins to render.
2. Brown the meat
Increase heat to medium-high. Add ground beef and ground pork to the pot, breaking up with a spoon. Cook until meat is no longer pink and starts to brown, about 6–8 minutes. Do not overcrowd — if pan is crowded, brown in batches. Season with 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper during browning.
3. Tomato and deglaze
Stir in tomato paste and cook 2–3 minutes, stirring, to caramelize the paste. Pour in the white wine to deglaze, scraping up browned bits from the bottom. Allow wine to reduce until mostly evaporated, about 2–3 minutes.
4. Add dairy and simmer
Lower heat to medium. Stir in whole milk and simmer gently for 5 minutes to reduce slightly — this mellows the acidity and enrobes the meat. Then add crushed tomatoes (or passata), stock, bay leaves, dried oregano, remaining salt (reserve about 1/2 tsp to adjust later), black pepper, and sugar if using. Stir to combine.
5. Long, gentle simmer
Bring sauce to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat so it barely bubbles. Partially cover and cook low and slow for at least 1 hour and up to 2 hours, stirring occasionally. If sauce thickens too much, add up to 1/2 cup water or stock. Taste after 1 hour and adjust seasoning with remaining salt and pepper. Remove bay leaves before serving.
Pasta & Finishing
6. Cook rigatoni
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add 1 tbsp salt. Add rigatoni and cook until just shy of al dente per package instructions (usually 1–2 minutes less than recommended), about 10 minutes. Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.
7. Combine pasta and sauce
Return the drained rigatoni to the pot or transfer to the sauce pot. Add 2–3 cups of Bolognese (more or less to preference) and 1/2 cup reserved pasta water. Toss over low heat for 1–2 minutes until the pasta is al dente and sauce clings to the noodles, adding more pasta water as needed to achieve a silky consistency.
8. Finish and serve
Stir in 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and chopped parsley. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes if using. Divide among plates or bowls and top each serving with additional grated Parmigiano and a sprinkle of parsley.
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