Bolognese Recipe
Pappardelle Pasta with Ground Beef & Pork, Smoked Bacon, Roasted Tomato Cream Sauce, Fresh Basil
Was this page helpful?
Help improve this recipe for others.
Send this recipe to your inbox.
We'll email it straight to you - plus weekly cooking inspiration.
Ingredients
Some product links may be affiliates. If you buy through them, you're supporting the site and Pekin may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Meat & Proteins
Vegetables & Aromatics
Liquids & Dairy
Pantry & Seasoning
Pasta & Finishing
Method
Meat & Proteins
- 1
Render bacon
Heat a large, heavy-bottomed sauté pan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced smoked bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until fat is rendered and pieces are golden and crisp, about 6–8 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer most of the bacon to a paper towel–lined plate, leaving about 2 tablespoons of bacon fat in the pan.
- 2
Brown the ground meats
Increase heat to medium-high. Add the ground beef and ground pork to the pan with bacon fat (add 1 tablespoon olive oil if needed). Break meat into small pieces and brown without crowding, about 6–8 minutes, until no longer pink and some browned bits form. Season with 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper while browning. Remove excess fat if there is more than 2 tablespoons, leaving flavorful browned fond in the pan.
Vegetables & Aromatics
- 3
Sweat aromatics
Reduce heat to medium. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil (or use reserved bacon fat), then add the diced onion, carrot, and celery. Cook gently until softened and translucent, about 7–9 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the minced garlic and cook 30–45 seconds until fragrant, taking care not to brown the garlic.
- 4
Incorporate tomato elements
Stir in the tomato paste and cook 2–3 minutes, stirring, to caramelize slightly and deepen flavor. Add the roasted tomatoes (or canned fire-roasted tomatoes), breaking them up with the back of a spoon. Stir to combine with the vegetables and meat.
Deglaze & Simmer
- 5
Deglaze with wine
Pour in the wine and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Allow the wine to reduce by about half, 3–4 minutes.
- 6
Add liquids and seasonings
Add the beef (or chicken) stock, milk, dried oregano, dried basil, bay leaf, and crushed red pepper flakes. Stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to low. Partially cover and simmer gently for 45–60 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauce is richly flavored and thickened. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed (start with remaining 1/2 tsp salt and up to 1/2 tsp pepper).
Finish sauce & Cream
- 7
Finish with cream and bacon
Remove bay leaf. Stir in the heavy cream and reserved crisped bacon pieces. Simmer gently 3–5 minutes to meld flavors and slightly thicken. If sauce seems too thick, loosen with up to 1/4 cup pasta cooking water later.
- 8
Adjust consistency
If you prefer a smoother sauce, use an immersion blender to pulse the sauce briefly to break down larger tomato pieces, but leave some texture. Keep sauce warm over very low heat while you cook the pasta.
Pasta & Finishing
- 9
Cook pappardelle
Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the pappardelle and cook according to package directions until al dente (usually 3–5 minutes for fresh, 7–10 minutes for dried). Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.
- 10
Combine pasta and sauce
Add the drained pasta to the sauce pan and toss gently to coat. Add up to 1/2 cup reserved pasta water as needed to achieve a silky sauce that clings to the noodles. Cook together 1–2 minutes so the pasta finishes in the sauce.
- 11
Finish and serve
Turn off the heat. Stir in the torn fresh basil and 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, reserving a little for serving. Taste and adjust seasoning. Divide among serving plates or a large family platter and top with additional grated cheese and an extra drizzle of olive oil if desired.