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The Best Slow-Cooked Bolognese Sauce
When it comes to meat sauces, ragù Bolognese is the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world. To arrive at this version, I started with Barbara Lynch's great recipe, adding a few tweaks here and there to enhance meatiness and texture (hello pancetta, gelatin, and fish sauce!), and employing a unique oven-based cooking technique that develops rich browned flavors all while maintaining the tender, silky texture that the best sauces have. This is the kind of sauce that will leave you and your loved ones weak in the knees.

Why this recipe works:

Slow-roasting in the oven creates rich browned flavors while ensuring that the meat stays tender.
A combination of beef, lamb, and pork along with pancetta and chicken livers creates layers of rich, meaty flavor.
Finishing with heavy cream and Parmesan emulsifies the sauce, incorporating the fat into the mixture.
Fish sauce added at the end enhances the meatiness of the dish.
Ingredients
  • 1 quart homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken stock
  • 4 to 6 packets powdered gelatin (see note above)
  • 1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, preferably San Marzano
  • ½ pound finely minced chicken livers
  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 pound ground beef chuck (about 20% fat)
  • 1 pound ground pork shoulder (about 20% fat)
  • 1 pound ground lamb shoulder (about 20% fat)
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • ½ pound finely diced pancetta
  • 1 large onion, finely minced (about 1 ½ cups)
  • 2 carrots, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
  • 4 stalks celery, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
  • 4 medium cloves garlic, minced (about 4 teaspoons)
  • ¼ cup minced fresh sage leaves
  • ½ cup minced fresh parsley leaves
  • 2 cups dry white or red wine
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 3 ounces finely grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons Vietnamese or Thai fish sauce
  • subheading: To Serve:
  • 1 ½ pounds pasta, preferably pappardelle, tagliatelle, or penne
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