I don't think I like anything much more than Bolognese-- a rich meat sauce usually served over pasta. I build my Bolognese with lots of flavor--- and let it cook down to make it really hearty. You can serve it over any pasta- if I have it, Pappardelle is my choice but if I am in a hurry, I’ll use angel hair or any pasta I have in the pantry. On any given Saturday in the cold weather months, I’ll start the Bolognese in the afternoon and then let it cook while I do all my chores. Then, I whip up a quick salad- usually arugula, shaved Parm, lemon juice and olive oil with cracked black pepper. That is my fav. Toast some bread, open a bottle of wine and you have the perfect dinner on a cold night.
Prep Time: 15 Cook Time: 1 hour
INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 strips bacon or pancetta, diced
1 large onion, diced fine
1 cup carrots, diced very fine or grated
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme- minced (ok use 1/4 t. dried thyme instead)
1/2 teaspoon fresh oregano, minced (ok to use 1/4 t. dried oregano)
Pinch fresh ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3 cups beef broth, divided
1 cup red wine
1 can (28 ounces) tomato puree
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Pinch sugar
2 bay leaves
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated (save some for garnish)
2 tablespoons. fresh Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped (save some for garnish)
DIRECTIONS:
Add the olive oil to a large pot and heat. Over medium-high heat, add the bacon and cook until browned. Add the carrots and onions. Cook until soft. Add the garlic and cook for a minute, stirring constantly. Add the beef and cook until the meat is browned— about 5 minutes. Drain off any extra grease. Return to the heat. Add the tomato paste and cook for one minute, stirring constantly over medium high heat. Allow the mixture to brown well, you will hear some popping and crackling. This is a good thing. Don't stir too often but don't let it burn, either. Cook until a crust forms.
Add 1 cup of the red wine and use that to deglaze the bottom of the pan, scraping all of the crust off the bottom of the pan. Add the salt, pepper, oregano, thyme, and nutmeg. Reduce the heat to medium. Let the wine reduce completely, stirring occasionally. Add one cup of beef broth and cook, reducing the liquid until it is almost completely gone. Add the tomato puree and another cup of beef broth. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly to keep the sauce from sticking on the bottom of the pot. Add the Worcestershire, sugar, and the bay leaf. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 1-2 hours, stirring frequently. Add more beef broth as the sauce cooks down and becomes thick. You want the sauce to be very thick, but you can add broth to reconstitute it a bit if you like it to have more sauce.
Before serving, remove the bay leaf. Stir in the cream, Parmesan cheese, and most of the parsley. Reserve some parsley for garnish.
Ladle over any hot pasta you like. Top with fresh parsley and a bit more grated Parm.
