Pairs well with The Ultimate Bolognese Sauce
The Ultimate Bolognese Sauce
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A rich and hearty slow-cooked Bolognese sauce combining pork, beef, and pancetta with a flavorful soffritto, tomato paste, passata, peeled tomatoes, and a splash of milk for a creamy finish. Perfect for pasta like tagliatelle or pappardelle, or as a base for lasagna. This recipe uses traditional ingredients with modern techniques to create a velvety, meaty sauce full of depth and comfort.
04:00:00 total
Serves 6
medium
Main Various
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Ingredients
- pork - 500 g (half kilo, adds flavor and tenderness)
- beef - 500 g (half kilo; can be adjusted to 300 g beef and 200 g veal if preferred)
- pancetta - 100 g (finely minced, secret ingredient for flavor)
- brown onion - 1 (chopped into pieces)
- celery sticks - 2 (chopped into pieces)
- carrots - 3 (chopped into pieces)
- Italian passata - 1 bottle (used for the tomato base)
- tomato paste - 100 g (adds concentrated tomato flavor)
- peeled tomatoes - 400 g (small can, to add texture and flavor)
- red wine - 1 glass (used to tenderize and add bold flavor)
- full cream milk - 1 mug (optional, added at the end for creaminess)
- extra virgin olive oil - about 2 tablespoons (used for cooking pancetta and soffritto)
- salt - to taste (added during cooking and final seasoning)
- black pepper - to taste (added during cooking and final seasoning)
Instructions
- Prepare pancetta: Finely mince the pancetta using a food processor or knife until it almost disappears to blend into the sauce.
- Cook pancetta and soffritto: In a large pot over medium-low heat, add 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and the minced pancetta. Cook gently to sweat the pancetta and release fat. Add chopped brown onion, celery, and carrots. Cover with lid and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes to avoid burning, until vegetables are tender and glossy.
- Add wine to soffritto: Add a splash of red wine to the soffritto, mix, cover again, and cook for 2 more minutes to tenderize and develop flavor.
- Cook the meat: Add a little extra virgin olive oil, then add the ground pork and beef to the pot. Break the meat up with a wooden spoon and cook until it just changes color to grey, not fully cooked.
- Add remaining wine and simmer: Pour in the remaining wine, mix well, and let it simmer for about 10 minutes until the alcohol evaporates and flavors meld.
- Add tomato paste and tomatoes: Season with generous salt and pepper. Stir in the tomato paste thoroughly, then add the passata and peeled tomatoes. Mix well.
- Long slow cook with lid: Cover the pot with a lid and cook on low heat for 3 hours. Stir every 30 minutes to prevent sticking.
- Cook uncovered to thicken: Remove the lid and cook for an additional 1 hour uncovered on very low heat. Stir frequently to avoid burning and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
- Optional milk addition: For a silkier, creamier sauce, add a splash of full cream milk and cook for another 5 minutes without stirring.
- Serve: Serve the sauce with freshly cooked pasta such as tagliatelle or pappardelle. Garnish with grated Parmesan cheese if desired.
- Storage: Portion leftover sauce into containers and freeze for future use.
