Easy Creamy Bolognese

Sibby Barrett

I love a good Bolognese--sometimes called "Ragu". It doesn't really need to cook for hours and hours to be rich and flavorful. The prep is about 20 minutes, cooking time is 30 minutes once you have everything in the pan. I call this "Rustic" because I coarsely chop everything instead of mincing finely. If you want a more refined, less chunky style, dice the vegetables. In Italy you will see this sauce both ways, chunky or smooth--sometimes to the point where the meat is almost a puree. This version has all the good things you expect in a Bolognese, with the addition of a bit of cream for a, well, creamy finish. You can easily leave the cream out if that's your thing. This recipe serves 6-8, you can easily double to serve a crowd of 12 or more...cause you have friends.

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Prep Time 20

Cook Time 30

Servings: 6

Course: Main Course, pasta

Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

1/4 cup Olive Oil
1 medium onion coarsely chopped
6 garlic cloves peeled and coarsely chopped
2 celery stalks coarsely chopped
2 carrots peeled and coarsely chopped
1 cup white wine
1 ½ pounds ground beef I like to use 80/20
1 ½ pounds ground pork or Italian sausage
3 ounces ham or bacon chopped
14.5 ounce can tomato sauce
2 tablespoons tomato paste
large handful fresh Italian parsley chopped
nutmeg grated
salt and pepper
1-2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1/2 cup cream
Parmigiano or Pecorino for serving grated
Pasta Bucatini, Pici or other hearty shapes, Tagliatelle, Rigatoni, Fettuccine, Ziti, Penne, Orecchiette or Farfalle

Method

In a large, heavy skillet, heat the olive oil until just starting to smoke. Add the onions and saute over medium high heat about 5-8 minutes. Lower the heat to medium and add the garlic, celery and carrot. Sauce for about 5 minutes. Increase the heat to high and deglaze the pan with the wine, scraping up all the bits for about 3-5 minutes or until wine is just about all cooked out. Add the beef, pork and ham or bacon and saute, stirring frequently, breaking up any large lumps and cook until meat is no longer pink, about 10 minutes. Add the tomato sauce, tomato paste and parsley. Cook over medium heat for a few minutes to allow it to thick up a bit. Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste. Add the stock, bring to a simmer, lower heat, cover and cook for about 30 minutes. Add the cream and cook just to warm the cream. Serve over pasta, thinning out with a bit of pasta water if needed. Top with cheese.