Bolognese Sauce (Ragù alla Bolognese)

6-8 Servings

Summary:

Bolognese sauce, is a meat-based sauce for pasta originating in Bologna, Italy. Bolognese sauce is sometimes taken to be a tomato sauce, but many more traditional recipes have only a small amount of tomato product.

The sauce dates back at least to the 15th century. Tomato was added after the discovery of the New World.

The people of Bologna traditionally serve their famous ragù with freshly made tagliatelle and their traditionally lasagne. In the UK, bolognese is served with spaghetti and and referred to as “Spag Bol”.

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, minced (about 1 cup)
1 medium carrot, peeled and finely grated (about 1/2 cup)
1/2 cup celery , minced
salt, to taste
1 pounds ground chuck
1 pounds ground pork
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 tablespoon tomato paste
28 ounces whole-peeled canned tomatoes, with their liquid, crushed
3 bay leaves
black pepper, to taste
2 cups milk, heated

Directions:

Brown the ground beef and pork in a 3 to 4-quart pan or Dutch oven over medium heat.
Continue cooking, stirring to break up the meat, until all the liquid the meat has given off is evaporated and the meat is lightly browned, about 10 minutes.
Pour off excess fat.
Pour in the wine and cook, scraping the bottom of the pan, until the wine is evaporated, 3 to 4 minutes.
Add the olive oil, and saute the onion, carrot and celery, season them lightly with salt and cook, stirring, until the onion is translucent, about 4 minutes.
Stir in the tomato paste and cook a few minutes.
Add the tomatoes and bay leaves.
Season lightly with salt and pepper.
Bring to a boil, then lower the heat so the sauce is at a simmer.
Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is dense but juicy and a rich, dark red color, about 2 to 3 hours.
While the sauce is cooking, add hot milk as necessary to keep the meats and vegetables covered.
Skim any fat with a spoon or reincorporated into sauce, which is done traditionally.