Classic Bolognese

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot (5-6 quart)
• •Wooden spoon
• •Large pot for pasta

Instructions

1. 1

   Build the soffritto

   Heat the olive oil and butter in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. When the butter foams, add the onion, carrot, and celery. Cook slowly, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft and sweet but have not taken on color, about twelve to fifteen minutes. This is the foundation. Do not rush it.

   Cut your vegetables to a uniform small dice. They should nearly melt into the sauce by the end of cooking.
2. 2

   Brown the meat

   Add the garlic and cook for one minute until fragrant. Push the vegetables to the sides of the pot and add the ground beef and pork to the center. Break the meat into small pieces with a wooden spoon and cook, stirring occasionally, until it loses its raw color and begins to brown in spots, about ten minutes. You want some fond on the bottom of the pot. That is flavor.

3. 3

   Add the wine

   Pour in the white wine. It will sizzle and steam. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Let the wine simmer until it has nearly evaporated and the pot looks almost dry, about five minutes. The alcohol cooks off. What remains is brightness and depth.

4. 4

   Add the milk

   Pour in the milk. This is the secret of true Bolognese. Let it simmer gently until it has been absorbed into the meat, about eight to ten minutes. The sauce will look pale and strange. Trust the process. The milk tenderizes the meat and softens any sharp edges.

   Use whole milk. The fat matters here. Skim milk will not give you the same result.
5. 5

   Add tomatoes and simmer

   Stir in the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, bay leaf, salt, and several grinds of black pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to the lowest setting. You want lazy bubbles rising to the surface every few seconds. Cover the pot with the lid slightly ajar.

6. 6

   Cook low and slow

   Let the sauce simmer for at least three hours. Stir every thirty minutes or so, scraping the bottom to prevent sticking. Add a splash of water if it becomes too thick before the flavors have melded. The sauce is ready when the fat has separated slightly and pools in orange rivulets on the surface. The meat should be tender and the flavors unified.

   Four hours is better than three. Five is better than four. Time is the ingredient you cannot buy.
7. 7

   Finish and taste

   Remove the bay leaf. Taste the sauce and adjust salt as needed. The flavor should be rich and meaty with a gentle tomato sweetness in the background. If it tastes sharp, it needs more time. If it tastes flat, it needs more salt.

8. 8

   Cook the pasta

   Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it generously. It should taste like the sea. Cook the fresh tagliatelle until tender but with a slight resistance at the center, usually two to three minutes for fresh pasta. Reserve one cup of pasta water before draining.

9. 9

   Marry the pasta and sauce

   Add the drained pasta directly to the pot of sauce. Toss gently over low heat, adding splashes of pasta water to help the sauce cling to every strand. The starchy water is the glue. Serve in warm bowls with a generous shower of freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Chef Tips

• •The quality of your meat is everything. Find a butcher who grinds fresh. Ask where the animals came from. You will taste the difference.
• •San Marzano tomatoes, the real ones from the volcanic soil near Naples, have a sweetness and low acidity that works beautifully here. Crush them by hand for texture.
• •Make this on a Sunday when you can be home. The sauce wants your occasional attention, and your kitchen will smell extraordinary.
• •Bolognese improves with rest. It is even better the next day when the flavors have had time to become acquainted.
• •In winter, this sauce feels inevitable. In summer, consider a lighter preparation and save the slow simmer for cooler days.

Advance Preparation

• •The sauce can be made up to four days ahead and refrigerated. The flavors deepen with time.
• •Bolognese freezes beautifully for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat gently with a splash of water.
• •Do not cook the pasta until you are ready to serve. Fresh pasta waits for no one.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 400g)