Ragù alla Bolognese (Bolognese-style Meat Sauce)
Cuisine: Italian
Author: Sharon Sanders, ©simpleitaly.com
Ingredients
  • 2 ounces pancetta, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 cup finely chopped celery
  • 1 cup finely chopped onion
  • ½ cup finely chopped carrot
  • 8 ounces ground pork
  • 8 ounces ground beef
  • Salt
  • ½ cup dry white Italian wine
  • 1 cup beef or chicken broth
  • 1 cup unseasoned tomato purée
  • 2 dried bay leaves
  • Pinch of nutmeg
  • ½ cup whole milk or half-and-half
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • Ground black pepper
Instructions
  1. In a large heavy pot, combine the pancetta, butter, and oil. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon for 5 minutes, or until the pancetta starts to render its fat.
  2. Stir in the celery, onion, and carrot. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Uncover and stir; cook for about 5 minutes, or until softened. Reduce the heat if the vegetables start to brown. Remove the vegetables to a bowl; set aside.
  3. Crumble the pork and beef into the pot. Season lightly with salt. Cook over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes without stirring so the meats start to brown on the bottom. Turn the meats with a spatula. Reduce the heat slightly and continue cooking for about 6 minutes, or until the meat juices evaporate and start to form a brown glaze on the pot bottom. Watch closely as the browning develops and turn down the heat if it starts to burn.
  4. Return the reserved vegetables to the pot. Add the wine and scrape the pot bottom to dissolve the brown glaze. Cook over high heat about 5 minutes, or until the mixture no longer smells of alcohol. Add the broth, tomato purée, bay leaves, and nutmeg. Heat to almost boiling but do not allow to boil.
  5. Reduce the heat to low or medium-low so the sauce bubbles occasionally in the center. Cook for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Stir in the milk and parsley. Cook about 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the mixture is thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove and discard the bay leaves.
  6. To refrigerate the sauce: Cool to room temperature. Spoon into an airtight container and cover. Refrigerate for up to 4 days. Reheat in a saucepan or in the microwave oven.
  7. To freeze the sauce, cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate for several hours. Spoon into plastic freezer containers. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. To use, thaw for a day in refrigerator. Reheat in a saucepan or in the microwave oven.
Recipe by Simple Italy at https://www.simpleitaly.com/lasagna-alla-bolognese/