The Ultimate Pasta Bolognese (Classic Italian Meat Sauce)
Learn how to make the ultimate Pasta Bolognese with this easy, authentic recipe. A rich, slow-simmered Italian meat sauce clinging to thick rigatoni pasta for the perfect comforting family dinner.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 4 oz pancetta, finely diced
- 1 large yellow onion, finely diced
- 2 medium carrots, finely diced
- 2 stalks celery finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 lbs ground beef, drained
- 1 cup dry red wine (cabernet or chianti)
- 1 cup heavy cream or whole milk whatever you have on hand
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar (optional for additional acidity)
- 2 Parmesan rinds
- 1 tsp each dried basil, dried oregano
- ½ tsp dried rosemary
- ¼ tsp grated nutmeg, a pinch will do
- 2 bay leaves
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Pasta and Garnish
- 1lb Pappardelle or Rigatoni
- grated Parmesan
- 1 can 28 oz San Marzano tomatoes, hand crushed use D.O.P labeled is best
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook pancetta 4-5 mins until crisp. add onion, carrots, and celery, saute until soft. stir in garlic and tomato paste and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute
- Raise heat to medium-high, add ground beef and cook until browned. Season with salt pepper, basil, oregano, and rosemary
- pour in the red wine, scraping the bottom of the pot, and simmer a few minutes until reduced by half. add beef broth, San Marzano tomatoes, parmesan, bay leaf, and white wine vinegar and simmer for 1½ hours, covered loosely and stirring occasionally.
- stir in the cream and add the nutmeg and re-cover loosely and simmer for another 30 minutes. (if the sauce is to thick add a splash or 2 of the broth. Meanwhile get a pot of boiling salted-water going and cook your pasta. Reserve some pasta water once cooked.
- Remove the parmesan rind and bay leaf adjust seasoning, add a ladle of pasta water to the sauce.
Serving the dish
- ladle out some sauce into a sauce pan and add the portioned pasta directly to the pan with a pat of butter and toss until butter melts and the pasta is glistening. Serve with topped with grated parmesan. and a slice of crusty bread.
