I typically purchase pasta sauce and doctor it up (so to speak). But I decided it was high time to try my hand at from-scratch. This sauce, though delicious, didn’t convince me to move away from my shortcut method.
It is, however, good enough to share on the ol’ blog:
Bolognese Sauce
Adapted from recipe here
- 2 T extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 c bacon (about 4 slices), cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 2 onions, quartered
- 3 stalks of celery, quartered (no leaves)
- 4 carrots, peeled and quartered
- 5 cloves of garlic, crushed and peeled
- 1 lb beef (85 percent lean)
- 1 lb ground pork
- 2 1/2 t kosher salt
- 1 6-oz can tomato paste
- 1 1/2 c dry white wine
- 1 1/2 c whole milk
- 10 thyme branches, tied
Put oil and bacon in large saucepan over medium heat. Heat for 5 minutes, or until bacon has rendered its fat but is not yet crispy. While this cooks, puree onions, celery, carrots and garlic in a food processor. Turn heat to high and add the vegetables to saucepan. Cook for 10-15 minutes or until liquid has been absorbed and vegetables start to brown and stick to the bottom of the pan. Stir frequently. Add the ground beef, ground pork and salt to the vegetable mixture. Stir well to incorporate. Cook for 10-15 minutes, or until the meat begins to stick and brown to the bottom of the pan. Reduce heat to medium. Add tomato paste. Stir well and frequently. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Add wine and scrape up the brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Reduce the heat to medium low. Add milk and thyme; stir well. Bring to a simmer and cook for 1 hour. Stir occasionally. Remove thyme branches.