Pappardelle Bolognese Recipe
pasta with homemade veal, beef, & pork bolognese sauce
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Ingredients
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Pasta
Bolognese Sauce
Method
Pasta
- 1
Bring water to a boil
Fill a large pot with 4–6 quarts (about 4–6 liters) of water. Add 2 tbs salt and bring to a rolling boil.
- 2
Cook pappardelle
Add the pappardelle and cook according to package instructions (fresh: 2–4 minutes; dried: 8–12 minutes) until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta and set aside briefly. Toss with 1 tsp olive oil to prevent sticking if not serving immediately.
Bolognese Sauce
- 3
Prep and sweat aromatics
Heat 2 tbs olive oil and 2 tbs butter in a wide, heavy-bottomed sauté pan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced pancetta and cook, stirring, until browned and fat renders, about 4–5 minutes. Add the diced onion, carrot, and celery and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft and translucent but not browned, about 8–10 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook 1 minute until fragrant.
- 4
Brown the meats
Increase heat to medium-high. Add ground veal, beef, and pork in batches, breaking up the meat with a spoon. Season lightly with 1 tsp black pepper. Brown the meat thoroughly, letting it develop color but stirring so it remains crumbly. This takes about 8–10 minutes. If excess fat accumulates, spoon off all but about 1 tbs.
- 5
Deglaze and add tomato paste
Stir in 2 tbs tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes to caramelize slightly. Pour in 1/2 cup wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up browned bits from the bottom. Let the wine reduce by half, about 2–3 minutes.
- 6
- 7
Add tomatoes and stock
Add the 14 oz crushed tomatoes, 1 cup stock, bay leaf, and thyme. Stir to combine. Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to low so the sauce barely bubbles. Partially cover and simmer very gently for 1.5 to 2 hours, stirring every 15–20 minutes and breaking up any meat that clumps. Add a splash of reserved pasta water if the sauce reduces too much and becomes dry. If using, add 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes about halfway through cooking.
- 8
Finish and season
After simmering, remove the bay leaf. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt (start with 1 tsp and adjust) and additional black pepper as needed. If the sauce tastes too acidic, stir in a small pinch of sugar (1/4 tsp) or a splash more milk. If you prefer a silkier texture, stir in 1 tbs unsalted butter at the end.
- 9
Combine pasta and sauce
Add drained pappardelle to the pan with the sauce or return sauce to a large sauté pan to combine. Toss gently over low heat, adding up to 1/2 cup reserved pasta water as needed to loosen and help the sauce cling to the noodles. Cook together 1–2 minutes so the pasta finishes in the sauce.
- 10