Three-meat Bolognese Recipe

Prepare pan and brown meats

Heat a large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or deep sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter. When the fat is hot and shimmering, add the ground beef, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Brown for 4–5 minutes until beginning to caramelize, then remove beef with a slotted spoon to a bowl and set aside.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to the pan. Add ground pork and ground bison together, break up and brown for 5–7 minutes until no longer pink and some browning occurs. Season lightly with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper while cooking. Return the browned beef to the pan with the pork and bison and stir to combine. Reduce heat to medium.

Add the diced onion, carrot, and celery (the soffritto) to the meat mixture. Sauté over medium heat for 8–10 minutes until softened and vegetables are translucent, stirring frequently so they meld with the meat and pick up fond from the pan.

Stir in the minced garlic and cook 1 minute until fragrant, taking care not to burn the garlic.

Pour in the dry red wine to deglaze the pan, scraping any browned bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon. Increase heat briefly to bring wine to a simmer and reduce until almost evaporated, about 3–4 minutes.

Stir in the whole milk and simmer 4–5 minutes. This softens the acidity of the tomatoes and enriches the sauce.

Add the tomato paste and cook 2 minutes, stirring to caramelize slightly and deepen its flavor.

Add the crushed tomatoes and beef or chicken stock. Stir to combine and bring to a gentle simmer.

Add the dried oregano, dried thyme, bay leaf, crushed red pepper flakes, remaining 1.5 teaspoons salt, and remaining 3/4 teaspoon black pepper. Stir and taste for balance — sauce should be slightly salty and richly flavored; adjust if needed.

Reduce heat to low so the sauce gently bubbles. Partially cover the pot and simmer for 1.5 to 2 hours, stirring every 15–20 minutes to prevent sticking. If the sauce thickens too much, add a few tablespoons of water or stock. The long simmer melds the three meats and develops deep flavor.

About 15 minutes before serving, bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Cook the rigatoni according to package instructions until al dente (typically 10–12 minutes). Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.

Remove and discard the bay leaf from the sauce. Taste the Bolognese and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed. If sauce seems overly acidic or thin, stir in up to 1/4 cup reserved pasta water to marry the sauce and pasta.

Add the drained rigatoni to the sauce and toss over low heat for 1–2 minutes so the pasta absorbs the sauce. If desired, add a splash of reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce to coat the pasta evenly.

Divide the rigatoni and three-meat Bolognese among serving plates. Sprinkle each portion with shaved parmesan and chopped parsley, and finish with a light drizzle (about 1 tsp) of extra-virgin olive oil.