Penne Bolognese Pasta Recipe

Boil pasta

Bring 4 liters of water to a rolling boil in a large pot. Add 2 tablespoons kosher salt and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add 400 g penne and cook until al dente according to package instructions (usually 10–12 minutes). Reserve 1 cup (240 ml) pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta and set aside.

Prep vegetables and aromatics

Finely dice the onion, carrot and celery so you have roughly 1 cup each of onion and carrot and 2 celery stalks diced. Mince 3 garlic cloves and set aside.

Sweat the soffritto

In a large heavy-bottomed skillet or Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat until butter melts. Add the diced onion, carrot and celery with a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and translucent but not browned, about 6–8 minutes.

Brown the meat

Increase heat to medium-high. Add the ground beef (500 g) and ground pork (150 g) to the pot, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Cook until the meat loses its pink color and starts to brown in places, about 6–8 minutes. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper.

Add tomato paste and deglaze

Stir in 2 tablespoons tomato paste and cook for 1–2 minutes to caramelize and deepen flavor. Pour in 125 ml dry red wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up browned bits from the bottom. Let the wine reduce by about half, 2–3 minutes.

Build the sauce

Add the canned crushed tomatoes (800 g), 250 ml beef stock, 1 bay leaf, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp dried thyme and 1 tsp sugar (optional). Stir to combine. Bring to a gentle simmer.

Simmer with milk

Reduce heat to low and stir in 120 ml whole milk. Simmer the sauce gently, partially covered, for 45–60 minutes, stirring occasionally. If the sauce becomes too thick, add up to 1/2 cup (120 ml) reserved pasta water or additional stock to reach desired consistency. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed. Remove and discard the bay leaf before finishing.

Combine pasta and sauce

Return the drained penne to the pot or to the skillet with the Bolognese on low heat. Add 1 tablespoon butter (optional) and a few tablespoons of the reserved pasta water. Toss gently to coat the pasta evenly with the sauce, adding more pasta water as necessary to achieve a silky texture, about 1–2 minutes.

Serve

Divide the penne Bolognese among 4 warm plates. Top with freshly grated Parmesan (about 20 g per serving) and tear the basil leaves over each plate. Finish with a grind of black pepper and an optional drizzle of olive oil. Serve immediately.