Bolognese Sauce with Papperadelle
The one dish that I never order at a restaurant is any pasta with a Bolognese Sauce. It is always too salty for my taste. A traditional Bolognese Sauce is made with ground beef, ground pork and veal, which helps make the meat very tender. My recipe is for ground beef. I don’t eat veal and I typically don’t have ground pork in the house, so I use what I have. I still get that tender meat with a creamy sauce.
The difference between a Bolognese Sauce and regular meat spaghetti sauce is that a Bolognese Sauce is much thicker and creamier. Milk is added to a Bolognese Sauce. Additionally, a Bolognese Sauce is typically used for wider noodles such as Papperadelle.
The ingredients include a characteristic soffritto of onion, celery and carrot. I like to add some green pepper as well. Some recipes call for adding Pancetta. I don’t add it to my Bolognese Sauce. I keep a bacon flavor for my Carbonara Sauce.
The key to this dish is the simmering to reduce the liquid. You start off by browning the ground beef that has been seasoned with Kosher salt, garlic powder and black pepper in a large pan. Drain and set aside. Mince the carrots, onion, green pepper and celery. Place in a large pan and sauté. You want very small pieces here so that they break down in the sauce.
Add the heaping tablespoon of tomato paste, tomato puree and water. Mix well and simmer until reduced.
Transfer to a large pot. I use a pot that is double the size of what I need. As the sauce reduces it will sputter and splash. With the larger pot, those splashes stay in the pot. To the large pot, add the browned ground beef, 1 cup of red wine (white wine can also be used), the whole milk, half-n-half and seasonings (black pepper, garlic powder, parsley, marjoram, basil, mint and cayenne pepper). Mix well. Simmer for 1 hour stirring occasionally. I should note, that if I were using a mix of ground beef, pork and veal, I would use white wine instead of red wine.
Add the crushed tomatoes and red wine. Adjust the seasonings as needed. Simmer for 1 1/2 hours until sauce is reduced. Remove from the heat. I use an immersion and pulse a few times to break down the meat and vegetables into small pieces. This also adds a little more thickness to the sauce and will stretch a family meal.
Serve this Bolognese Sauce with Papperadelle. Mix the sauce with the cooked and drained Papperadelle. Sprinkle some grated cheese and fresh parsley on top. Serve immediately.
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Bolognese Sauce with Papperadelle
A hearty and flavorful Bolognese Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef (90% lean or higher)
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 small carrots, minced
- 1 medium onion, minced
- 1 small green pepper, minced
- 1 celery stalk, minced
- 1 heaping tablespoon tomato paste
- 10.75 ounces tomato puree
- 5 ounces of water
- 1 cup red wine
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 cup half-n-half
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed dried parsley
- 1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
- 1/8 teaspoon crushed dried basil
- 1/8 teaspoon dried mint (spearmint)
- pinch of cayenne pepper
- 28 ounces crushed tomatoes
- 1/2 cup red wine
- Adjust seasonings as necessary
Directions
- Step 1 In a large pan, brown the ground beef that has been seasoned with Kosher salt, garlic powder and black pepper. Drain and set aside.
- Step 2 Mince the carrots, onion, green pepper and celery stalk. Place in a large pan and sauté.
- Step 3 Add the heaping tablespoon of tomato paste, tomato puree and water. Mix well and simmer until reduced.
- Step 4 Transfer to a large pot. Add the browned ground beef, 1 cup of red wine, the whole milk, half-n-half and seasonings (black pepper, garlic powder, parsley, marjoram, basil, mint and cayenne pepper). Mix well.
- Step 5 Simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
- Step 6 Add the crushed tomatoes and red wine. Adjust the seasonings as needed.
- Step 7 Simmer for 1 1/2 hours until sauce is reduced.
- Step 8 Remove from the heat.
- Step 9 Use an immersion and pulse a few times to break down the meat and vegetables into small pieces.
- Step 10 Serve with Papperadelle pasta. Mix the sauce with the cooked and drained Papperadelle. Sprinkle some grated cheese and fresh parsley on top.
- Step 11 Serve immediately.
Note: You need a large pot, because as it reduces, it will sputter.
