Bolognese Sauce

My mouth is drooling as I type this! While this isn't the most traditional bolognese recipe on the internet, it's damn good, and happens to be one of my favorite meals to create. (Also, if you're wondering, the pronunciation is bowl-uh-naze). I love letting the house fill up with the yummy smells of onion and garlic. I let the sauce simmer in my dutch oven for a few hours, and by the time dinner rolls around, I've already snuck no less than 20 spoonfuls. So wonderfully good. This sauce works great layered in a lasagna, but is also delicious mixed into a long noodle (I prefer pappardelle), with a little fresh grated parmesan on top.

This is one of those wondrous dishes that takes very few ingredients, but will always leave your guests wanting more and thinking that you're a pro in the kitchen. If you have ground beef in your fridge or freezer, add this to your weekly lineup and give it a try. Grown-ups will appreciate the well-rounded depth of flavor, and kiddos will love slurping up this sauce on their noodles (Eden and Jase approved). Traditional bolognese sauce generally calls for beef chuck, but I most frequently have 80/20 beef in my freezer. I generally use this, and the sauce comes out perfectly every time.

BOLOGNESE SAUCE

INGREDIENTS:

- 1 pound ground beef (80/20 is my preference) or beef chuck*
- 1 small white onion, diced
- 4-6 garlic cloves, smashed
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 1 large carrot, diced
- 2 T olive oil
- 3 ounces tomato paste
- 1 cup dry white wine sauvignon blanc is my choice
- 2-3 cups beef stock start with 2 cups, and add more as your sauce begins to thicken
- 16-oz can unseasoned tomato sauce
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup whole milk

DIRECTIONS:

1.) Heat your oil in a large dutch oven, over medium heat. Add your ground beef, and season with salt and pepper. Break up meat until just about fully cooked, drain some fat if necessary, but leave at least a few tablespoons. It adds so much depth and flavor.
2.) Add diced onion and smashed garlic, stir until fragrant. The garlic will cook down and break up during the cooking process, so no need to mince here.
3.) Add diced carrot and celery, stir for a minute or two.
4.) Add in 3 oz tomato paste, and stir until well combined.
5.) Deglaze pan with one cup of wine, and scrape up any burnt bits from bottom of the pot. Let this simmer for a minute or so.
6.) Add tomato sauce and 2 cups beef stock, and season with additional salt and pepper.
7.) Once liquid is warmed, mix in your cup of milk.
8.) Turn your heat to the lowest heat, and cook uncovered for 2-4 hours. Yes, I know, it's a vast time difference. But the longer the better! Two hours will produce a delicious end result, though, and is what I would consider the minimum.
Stir occasionally, making sure the sauce doesn't stick to the pan, and add more beef stock or water if necessary to thin your sauce. Around the hour and a half mark, be sure and really pay attention, making sure it's not burning on the bottom. This is generally the time when more stock is required.

Don't be intimidated by the lengthy cook time. The hands on time is less than 15 minutes. Enjoy!

*If using beef chuck, use one pound, and cut into 1” cubes