Bolognese Sauce

Bolognese sauce is a classic Italian meat sauce for pasta. While most "Bolognese sauce" you might see in America is a tomato sauce with meat added to it ("spaghetti with meat sauce"), traditional Bolognese sauce tends to be much more focused on meat and wine, with very little actual tomatoes in it.

The recipe I use is mostly this Deadspin recipe, with just some adjustments to the types and amounts of meats and vegetables.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp butter
• Pinch of red pepper flakes
• Pinch of fennel seeds
• 1 large yellow onion
• 3 stalks celery
• 4 cloves of garlic
• Salt
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 lb ground pork
• 1 lb ground veal
• 1/2 lb bacon
• 4-5 anchovy fillets
  • Don't worry if you don't like anchovies. They're there to add depth and you won't actually taste them in the end.
• 1 6oz can tomato paste
• 1 bottle of red wine
• 1 cup whole milk
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 sprigs thyme
• Pinch of nutmeg

Directions

1. In a large pot, heat the olive oil, butter, red pepper flakes, and fennel seeds on low. Leave this on low while you prep the other ingredients, so the pepper and fennel can infuse into the oil.
2. Finely mince the onion, celery, and garlic. It's easiest to use a food processor to get it very fine.
3. Finely mince the bacon. You can similarly use a food processor here. Set aside with the other meats for now.
4. Increase the temperature of the pot to medium-low. Add the vegetables in the oil and salt generously.
5. Toss the vegetables with the oil until they're covered. Cook until the onions are translucent, stirring occasionally.
6. Add the meat to the pot.
7. Add the anchovies to the pot.
8. Increase the heat to medium. Using a wooden spatula or spoon, continuously break up and stir the meat with the vegetables until it's browned. You're trying to get the bits of meat as small as you can.
9. Turn the heat up to high. Add the tomato paste and stir to distribute.
10. Add the wine. Stir to distribute, and scrape off any of the bits that may have stuck to the bottom of the pot.
11. Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low to keep it simmering.
12. Slowly drizzle in the milk, stirring continuously, to avoid stopping the simmer.
13. Add the bay leaves, thyme, and nutmeg.
14. Cover with a lid and simmer for 1 hour to braise the sauce.
15. Uncover, increase the heat slightly to maintain the simmer, and simmer for 1 more hour to reduce the sauce.
16. Turn off the heat, and remove the bay leaves and thyme. Serve with a wide pasta such as tagliatelle, pappardelle, or fettuccine.
    • The sauce has a very intense flavor, so don't use as much sauce as you normally would or it'll be too strong. It helps to toss a serving of pasta with several tablespoons of sauce in a large bowl, then transfer to a plate.