Name: How to Make Bolognese Sauce
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 200 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons butter; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 cup finely diced onion; 1/2 cup finely diced celery; 1/2 cup finely diced carrot; 1 pinch salt; 1 1/2 pounds ground beef; salt; freshly ground black pepper to taste; 1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste; 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg; 1 1/2 cups 2% milk; 2 cups white wine; 1 (28 ounce) can whole Italian plum tomatoes (preferably San Marzano); 2 cups water, or as needed

How to Make Bolognese Sauce

⏱️ Ready in 3h 35m 🥄 Prep 15 min 🔥 Cook 3h 20m 👥 6 servings 👁️ 12 views

This Bolognese sauce is dedicated to the late great Marcella Hazan. She was considered the Julia Child of Italian food, and at a time when most Americans thought 'Bolognese' was spaghetti sauce with chunks of hamburger, Marcella taught us just how magnificent this meat sauce could be. I like to toss it with some mezzi rigatoni and serve it with a little grated Parmesan cheese and a sprinkle of parsley.

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🔗 Recipe adapted from AllRecipes

👨‍🍳 Instructions

Melt butter with olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat; cook onion, celery, and carrot with pinch of salt until onion turns translucent, about 5 minutes.

Stir ground beef into vegetables and cook, stirring constantly until meat is crumbly and no longer pink, about 5 minutes.

Season meat mixture with 1 1/2 teaspoon salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and nutmeg.

Pour milk into ground beef mixture and bring to a simmer.

Cook, stirring often, until most of the milk has evaporated and bottom of pan is still slightly saucy, about 5 minutes.

Raise heat to medium high and pour white wine into ground beef mixture; cook and stir until white wine has mostly evaporated, about 5 more minutes.

Pour tomatoes with juice into a large mixing bowl and crush them with your fingers until they resemble a slightly chunky sauce.

Pour tomatoes into sauce; fill can with 2 cups water and add to sauce.

Bring to a simmer.

Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring often, until mixture cooks down into a thick sauce, at least 3 hours but preferably 4 to 6 hours.

Skim fat from top of sauce if desired.

If sauce is too thick or too hot on the bottom, add a little more water.

Taste and adjust seasonings before serving.