Classic Italian Bolognese
I’m a sucker for ragu bolognese. It is one of my favourite meals. So no wonder I decided to try the classic recipe at home. I tried to follow an approach that was as true to the authentic Italian recipe as possible and I end up making this recipe almost every weekend. It just takes time and patience but if you manage to wait long enough for the sauce to come to its full potential, you will never turn back.
I also make these with my homemade fettuccine but you can definitely serve this with regular pasta from the store!
What do you need? (4 servings)
500g minced meat
2 slices of pancetta, about 0.5cm thick, cut into lardons (= cubed)
2 carrots, minced
2 onions, minced
4 celery sticks, minced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups of white wine
2 tablespoons of concentrated tomato puree
2 teaspoons of nutmeg
3-4 juniper berries
2 bay leaves
2 cups of chicken broth (or hot water with a chicken stock cube)
1 cup of milk
1 cup of grated parmesan
1 cup of pasta water
a good glug of olive oil
600g dry or homemade pasta
What do you need to do?
Start by browning the minced meat in some olive oil. I tend to use a Le Creuset pot for this sauce but any pot you prepare stews in should work. Once browned and completely cooked, remove from the pot.
Add the pancetta and cook until crispy and the fat has rendered.
The add the mirepoix (mixture of minced carrots, celery and onion) as well as the minced garlic. Cook for a few minutes.
Put the minced meat back into the pot with the pancetta and mirepoix and add the nutmeg, juniper berries and bay leaf. Also add the tomato puree and leave to cook for a bit all the while stirring so the mixture is coated with tomato.
Continue by adding the white wine and leave to simmer on medium heat until the white wine has reduced by 2/3.
Add the chicken broth and milk. Stir everything together and leave on a very low heat for as long as possible until the mixture becomes pasty rather than liquid. I tend to leave it on the heat for hours but if needed, 1-2 hours on medium low should suffice.
When ready to eat, cook the pasta according to the directions on the package. If you are cooking fresh pasta, make sure to only boil it for about 1min30. Get a cup of pasta cooking water before draining the pasta and add to the sauce as well as the parmesan and stir well until the cheese is completely incorporated and the sauce has become creamy.
Once the pasta has been drained, add to the ragu and stir gently so the pasta is coated with the sauce.
Serve while nice and hot, sprinkle with some extra grated parmesan and you’re golden!
Enjoy :)
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