My Classic Bolognese

100% worth the effort!

I don’t remember exactly when my obsession with bolognese began. But it’s been a recipe I’ve worked on for several years and have now shared online a few times, but I never wrote it all out.

It started with three recipes: Marcella Hazan’s Bolognese Sauce, J. Kenji Lopez-Alt’s slow-cooked Bolognese Sauce, and BA’s Best Bolognese. Some recipes called for many different types of ground meat, some called for tomatoes (others only tomato paste), some used milk, and some said the dairy was optional. The point is that there are LOTS of ways to make bolognese.

I don’t know how many times I cooked different versions of bolognese to arrive at how I make it now, but I’m very happy with the current recipe. I am sure I will get many questions about substitutions, and I encourage you to share your ideas in the comments. Often I can’t speak on a substitution because I’ve never tried it. So try it and see!

Sarah Hart’s Classic Bolognese

• 2 lbs ground beef

• 1 lb ground pork

• 4 oz diced pancetta

• 2 tbsp butter

• 1/2 cup diced celery 

• 1/2 cup diced carrot

• 1 cup diced onion

• 6 cloves chopped garlic

• 2-4 fillets of anchovies (if you don’t have anchovies, you can substitute with fish sauce)

• 2 tbsp tomato paste

• 1 cup dry white wine

• 1 cup chicken stock (you can use Better Than Bouillon)

• 20 oz Puréed tomatoes (or 28-ounce can of whole tomatoes, blended)

• 1 cup whole milk

• 1/2 tsp fresh grated nutmeg 

• Salt and pepper, to taste

For Finishing

• 3 oz grated Parmesan 

• 1/2 cup heavy cream

Instructions:

1. Prepare the Meat:

   • In a large bowl, combine the ground beef and ground pork. Form into baseball-sized meatballs. (They can be loose this is just to get some color on the outside of the meet and build a fond on the bottom of the pot)

     

   • In a Dutch oven (or other oven-safe pot), brown the meatballs on all sides (in batches if necessary) until they have a nice color but are not fully cooked. Remove and set aside.

     

2. Sauté the Aromatics:

   • In the same pot, add the diced pancetta and anchovies. Cook until the pancetta is rendered and the anchovies melt into the fat.

   • Add 2 tablespoons of butter to the rendered fat before adding the vegetables.

   • Add the Mirepoix (celery, carrot, onion) and sauté until the vegetables soften, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom. I like to finely dice my mirepoix in the food processor. This helps the vegetables really melt into the sauce and not be too distinguishable.

     

3. Build the Sauce:

   • Season the mixture with salt and pepper, then add the chopped garlic and tomato paste. Cook until the tomato paste caramelizes slightly.

   • Stir in the butter and return the browned meatballs to the pot. Break up any large clumps of meat and stir to combine.

     

4. Add Liquids:

   • Pour in the dry white wine and chicken stock. Stir in the pureed tomatoes, and then add the whole milk. (If you are substituting the anchovies with fish sauce, this is when I would add that. 1-2 teaspoons)

     

   • If using, grate in some fresh nutmeg and season with additional salt and pepper.

5. Bake:

   • Bring the mixture to a boil, then cover the pot and transfer it to a preheated 325°F (163°C) oven.

   • Cook uncovered for 3-4 hours, stirring one every hour or so and scraping down the sides to reduce the liquid and promote browning.

     

6. Finish the Sauce:

   • Once the sauce has reduced to your liking (there shouldn’t be much liquid left), remove it from the oven and return it to the stovetop. You can skim off any excess fat from the surface of the sauce.

   • Stir in the grated Parmesan and heavy cream. Adjust seasoning to taste.

     

7. Serve:

   • Serve the Bolognese sauce over your favorite pasta or freeze it for later use. I like to freeze in 1/2 cup portions which I find is perfect for a single serving of pasta.

Enjoy your delicious homemade Bolognese sauce!