The winter weather here has been relatively mild, however, this week it turned wicked cold. Almost too cold for anyone to want to be outside for any reason. Using the weather as an excuse, I thought I would make a bolognese sauce. Without a doubt the making of bolognese is a labor of love and an investment of time. This is one sauce that cannot be rushed or ignored. The flavors develop and deepen as the sauce simmers. There is nothing more satisfying as being rewarded for your efforts than with a richly flavored bolognese to serve over pasta or eat all on its' own with some great bread.
I did not grow up in household where either bolognese or meat sauce or Sunday gravy was made. Another one of those childhood deprivations. Okay, this is only partially true. The 'spaghetti sauce' served during my childhood years was one where you could see a reflection of yourself if you looked in the pan. Not having any exposure to 'red sauce' would have been better than having the sauce I experienced.
My appreciation for all food Italian has increased over the years with my love for a great bolognese sauce satisfied by the recipes of Mario Batali and Anne Burrell. Both recipes are incredible, yet so very different in their ingredients and tastes. I go back and forth between making both of them, preferring to use Mario's bolognese sauce for lasagna and Anne's sauce to serve over pasta. Having made Mario's Lasagna Bolognese for Christmas dinner (a huge departure from the traditional holiday meal, but one that was well received by everyone), I have been craving the taste of Anne's bolognese sauce.
It all begins with carrots, celery, onions and garlic. The first three ingredients are first cut into one inch and/or half-inch pieces and then thrown into the food processor. For some reason it took me years to figure out the best way to cut an onion if a recipe wanted it chopped or minced. So here's the trick, you cut an onion from end to end and not through the middle. If you cut it this way, you will make the cutting of an onion a more pleasurable experience.
Once the vegetables are cut you add the four cloves of garlic and process until they are somewhere between finely minced and a paste. I prefer for my vegetables to be closer to the finely minced end of the continuum as I like seeing small bits of carrots in the finished sauce. This mixture then goes into a large pan heated with some olive oil. When the vegetable mixture hits the oil you immediately take in the scent of garlic. If you like garlic, this will be your first thrill in the making of the sauce. The mixture then cooks for about 15 minutes or until all of the liquid is absorbed and the vegetables take on a golden, almost brown color.
You can use ground chuck or ground brisket or a combination of the two for this sauce. The ground meat is added to the vegetables and cooked for 15 to 20 minutes until well browned. Longer is better here.
At my favorite market in Westport, Massachusetts the butcher was kind enough to give me a lesson in the difference between ground chuck and ground brisket. Essentially its all about its source and where the fat is located in the meat. Ground chuck comes from the shoulder and neck area while brisket is the breast of the steer. Between the two, the fat in the ground chuck adds an immense amount of flavoring. So for my bolognese, ground chuck wins.
Keep your tomato puree, crushed tomatoes or whole tomatoes in the cabinet for this sauce. Tomato paste is what this bolognese calls for, yes only tomato paste, rich thick, intensely flavored tomato paste.
After adding in and slightly cooking down the hearty red wine (I use Zinfandel, Chianti or Merlot), the thyme bundle and the bay leaves go into the pot. Always, always, always bundle the thyme or you will be picking out the stems when the sauce is finished.
Speaking of herbs, I sometimes take for granted everyone can identify fresh herbs like thyme, rosemary, and oregano. This long held assumption was shattered recently when I asked a friend to cut a few sprigs of thyme out of the garden. When she said didn't know what it looked like, I think my not so sensitive response was 'seriously?'. So, for those of you who cook only with dried herbs and frequently substituting dried for fresh ones, please know there really is a difference in the finished taste of a recipe between the two. I don't think I am going out on too much of a limb when I say that when something calls for the use of a fresh herb, the dried equivalent never really lives up. Its sort of like using Miracle Whip when a recipe calls for mayonnaise.
The sauce simmers for 3 1/2 to 4 hours, again longer is better. Water is added to the sauce and allowed to cook out. Depending on your simmering temperature, you may be adding water to the pot more than twice. The color of this sauce is so beautiful that I wish there was Crayola crayon to capture it. But it is not just the color of the sauce that will make you swoon. It is the taste! Let me just simply say the taste of this sauce is scream worthy and a lose your manners desire to lick the plate when you are finished eating. It is deliriously, soul satisfying good.
Because the bolognese is a hearty sauce, it calls for a pasta that can stand up to it. I absolutely love using pappardelle pasta noodles with this sauce. In Italian,
pappare means 'to gobble', which describes perfectly what you will be doing when serving this Bolognese. If you can't find pappardelle pasta, the sauce is also great served over gnocchi, penne rigate or ziti pasta. Just remember, choose a pasta that can hold the robust flavor of this hearty bolognese sauce.
Finish the bolognese with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and some extra virgin olive oil. This may be one of the best comfort foods ever.
Recipe (updated March 2020)
Bolognese (a slightly adapted version of Anne Burrell's Bolognese recipe published on the FoodNetwork)
Ingredients
1 large onion, cut into 1 inch dice
2 large carrots, cut into 1/2 inch dice
3 ribs celery, cut into 1 inch dice
4 large cloves garlic
Extra virgin olive oil for cooking vegetables and finishing
Kosher salt
3 pounds of ground chuck or ground brisket or combination of the two (See Note below)
2 3/4 cups tomato paste (I used five 6 ounce cans)
3 cups (24 ounces) of a hearty red wine (Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, or Merlot)
3 bay leaves
1 large bunch of fresh thyme tied in a bundle
Water
Pasta of choice
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Directions
1. Place onions, carrots, celery and garlic in food processor until very finely minced or a coarse ground paste.
2. Add olive oil to a large pan placed over medium heat. Add vegetables and season with salt. Cook at medium-high until all liquid has evaporated and they are golden, lightly browned. This takes about 15-20 minutes.
3. Add beef, season again and brown beef. Cook at least 15 to 20 minutes, make sure it is really browned.
4. Add tomato paste, mix in thorough and cook about 4 to 5 minutes or until paste changes to a brown color.
5. Add wine and cook another 4 to 5 minutes or until wine has reduced by half.
6. Add enough water to pan to cover sauce by approximately 1inch. Toss in bay leaves and thyme bundle stirring everything together. Bring to boil and then reduce to a simmer, stirring occasionally. As water evaporates you will gradually add more, up to 2 or 3 cups at a time. You will do this approximately 2 times during the course of the 3 1/2 to 4 hour simmering. When finished remove the bay leaves and bundle of thyme stems.
7. If serving immediately, make pasta of choice reserving one cup of pasta water. Divide bolognese sauce and place up to half in a separate pan. Add cooked pasta stirring to coat pasta with the sauce. 8. Serve on a platter and/or in individual bowls, topping with Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and splash of olive oil.
Note: Instead of 3 pounds of ground chuck and/or brisket, I used 2 pounds of ground round and 1 pound of ground veal. The result was a deeply flavored, richer bolognese. From now on this will be my go to combination of meats. (Updated October 2016)
We have all heard the old adage 'all good things come to those who wait'. As long as it isn't a lifetime one has to wait. For me the wait for eating and making a great bolognese sauce was not a lifetime, but too long for my own liking. So if you are still waiting, wait no more. Your time and attention in making this sauce will take your tastebuds to places they may have never been.
The only reflection you will see is the look of pure joy on your face as you take in the flavor of this amazing sauce. This is a dinner party worthy, Sunday supper worthy, mid-week dinner worthy soul satisfying Bolognese.
