recipe exchange

Pappardelle Bolognese

Pappardelle Bolognese, also known as Ragu alla Bolognese, is a hearty Italian pasta dish made with wide, flat noodles called pappardelle. The sauce is typically a slow-cooked meat sauce, featuring ground meat such as beef, pork, or a combination, cooked with a soffritto of onions, carrots, and celery, and simmered with tomatoes and red wine. It is often enriched with milk or cream and seasoned with herbs like basil or bay leaves, offering a rich, deep flavor.

Prep 00:30
Cook 04:30
Total 05:00

Ingredients

  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 Tablespoon salted butter
  • 1 medium yellow or red onion
  • 2 medium carrots, or 1 large carrot
  • 1 celery rib
  • 4 oz diced pancetta
  • 1 lb ground pork
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 2 cans (28 oz each) crushed San Marzano tomatoes with the juices
  • 3 Tablespoons tomato paste
  • 3/4 cup dry white or red wine
  • 1/2 cup chicken stock, beef stock or water
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 3 Tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
  • 1 healthy pinch of nutmeg
  • Salt & black pepper to taste
  • 1 lb dried pappardelle pasta
  • 1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano

Instructions

  1. 1
    Chop the sofrito: use a chef's knife to finely chop the onion, carrot and celery or use a food processor and pulse until the vegetables are chopped into fine pieces (but not mushy)
  2. 2
    Cook the pancetta: in a large cast iron or Dutch oven pot, cook the pancetta in oil and melted butter for 3-5 minutes.
  3. 3
    Add the sofrito: Once the pancetta is done, add the sofrito and cook for 3-4 minutes with a healthy pinch of salt.
  4. 4
    Brown the meat: Next, add the ground pork and beef and cook until the meat is no longer pink and most of the liquid from the meat is absorbed.
  5. 5
    Wine and tomato paste: Once the minced meat is cooked, add the wine and cook off the alcohol from the wine for 3-4 minutes. Stirring often. Then add the tomato paste and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
  6. 6
    Add the tomatoes, milk, and broth, then simmer: Once the alcohol from the wine is cooked off, add the tomatoes with the juices, 1 cup of whole milk, and 1/2 cup of broth. Season with a generous pinch of salt and black pepper and a healthy pinch of nutmeg, then cover the pot with a lid and cook on a very low simmer for 4-5 hours
  7. 7
    Add the herbs toward the end: As the sauce nears the end of the cooking time, stir in the chopped basil. Let the herbs cook in the sauce for at least 20-30 minutes.
  8. 8
    Cook the pasta and serve with the sauce: bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, then cook the pappardelle until al dente according to the package instructions. Strain the pasta but reserve about 3/4 cup of pasta water. Add the pasta and pasta water back into the pot, then add bolognese sauce as needed, with 1 cup of parmigiano reggiano cheese. Stir until all the ingredients come together, then serve with cracked black pepper and more cheese if desired. Enjoy!
Category
Entree/Main
Method
Slow Cooking
Cuisine
Italian

Recipe Attribution

Comments (0)