Beef Bolognese Sauce (Ragù alla Bolognese)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
- 4 tablespoons of butter plus 1 tablespoon for tossing the pasta
- 2/3 cup of chopped onion
- 2/3 cup of chopped celery
- 2/3 cup of chopped carrots
- 1 pound of beef (or 1-part pork to 2 parts beef)
- Kosher salt
- Freshly milled black pepper
- 1 cup of milk or 1 cup of half and half (if you would like it richer)
- 1 – 28 ounce can of San Marzano whole tomatoes, crushed and cut up with juice, or if you prefer a less “saucy” Bolognese you can just use 1 – 6 ounce can of tomato paste instead of the whole tomatoes.
- 1/4 cup of flat-leaf Italian parsley
- 1 1/2 pounds of pasta, preferably tagliatelle
- 1/8 teaspoon of nutmeg
- 1 cup of dry white wine
- Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, for serving
Instructions
- Put the oil, butter, and onion in a saucepan on a medium flame. Cook and stir the onion until translucent, about 5 minutes, then add the celery and carrots. Cook for about 2-3 minutes, stirring the vegetables to coat them well.
- Add the meat and simultaneously a large pinch of Kosher salt and a few grindings of pepper. Crumble the meat with a fork and stir until it is browned and no red parts remain.
- Add milk or half and half and let it simmer gently, stirring frequently until it has bubbled away, about 1 hour. Add nutmeg and stir.
- Add wine and let it simmer until evaporated, about 1 hour more. Add the tomatoes and stir thoroughly. When the tomatoes bubble, lower the heat so the sauce simmers on the lowest possible flame. Cook uncovered for 3+ hours, stirring occasionally. While the sauce is cooking, it may begin to dry out and the fat separates from the actual meat so add a 1/2 cup of water when necessary, but in the end no water should be left when you serve it. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Toss with drained pasta, adding an additional tablespoon of butter and serve with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano on the side.
