How to Make Bolognese Sauce

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Description

This Bolognese sauce is dedicated to the late great Marcella Hazan. She was considered the Julia Child of Italian food, and at a time when most Americans thought ‘Bolognese’ was spaghetti sauce with chunks of hamburger, Marcella taught us just how magnificent this meat sauce could be. I like to toss it with some mezzi rigatoni and serve it with a little grated Parmesan cheese and a sprinkle of parsley.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 cup finely diced onion
  • ½ cup finely diced celery
  • ½ cup finely diced carrot
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 ½ pounds ground beef
  • salt
  • freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 ½ cups 2% milk
  • 2 cups white wine
  • 1 (28 ounce) can whole Italian plum tomatoes (preferably San Marzano)
  • 2 cups water, or as needed

Instructions

  1. Melt butter with olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion
  2. celery
  3. carrot
  4. and 1 pinch salt; cook and stir until onion turns translucent
  5. about 5 minutes.
  6. Stir ground beef into vegetables; cook and stir until meat is crumbly and no longer pink
  7. about 5 minutes. Season with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  8. nutmeg
  9. cayenne pepper
  10. and black pepper.
  11. Pour milk into ground beef mixture and bring to a simmer. Cook
  12. stirring frequently
  13. until most of the milk has evaporated and the bottom of the pan is still slightly saucy
  14. about 5 minutes.
  15. Increase heat to medium-high and pour in white wine; cook and stir until wine has mostly evaporated
  16. about 5 minutes.
  17. Pour tomatoes with juice into a large mixing bowl; crush them with your hands until they resemble a chunky sauce. Pour tomato mixture into ground beef mixture; fill the tomato can with 2 cups water and stir into sauce. Bring to a boil.
  18. Reduce heat to low and simmer
  19. stirring often
  20. until mixture cooks down into a thick sauce
  21. at least 3 hours but preferably 4 to 6 hours. Skim fat from the top of sauce if desired. Add more water if sauce is too thick. Taste and adjust seasonings before serving.

Prep Time: 15 mins

Cook Time: 3 hrs 20 mins

Total Time: 3 hrs 35 mins

Servings: 6

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