This delicious meat sauce is cooked for a long time, but most of it is unattended. The first 10-15 minutes are, however, busy. So let's get ready before we start:
-preheat the oven to 300°
- chop your veggies finely
- pour 1/2 cup wine into your measuring cup
- combine stock, milk and bay leaves in a large measuring cup (this way it's all added at once and you don't forget the bay leaves)
- open the can of your tomatoes
- heat oil on medium high heat in your Dutch oven, or oven-safe pot you will be making your sauce in for 3-4 minutes until shimmering
- heat butter in a large non-stick pan over medium high heat for 3-4 minutes until shimmering
Add your ground meat to the Dutch oven and your mirepoix (onion, celery and carrot) and red pepper flakes to the skillet with butter. Sprinkle each pan with a pinch of kosher salt and cook stirring each occasionally. Your meat will need 5-10 minutes - you are just looking to cook it until no longer pink, while breaking and squishing any lumps; pour out some of the fat. For the veggies, you are looking to soften them. After about 7 minutes, add parsley and garlic to the vegetables and cook for a few minutes until fragrant.
Add the red wine to the meat after it's no longer pink and cook until the wine is mostly evaporated. Your veggies should be about ready so add them to the pan also.
Add the milk, stock, bay leaves and parmesan rind, if using. Start adding tomatoes and their juices, squishing each tomato with your fingers as you add it. Bring the mixture to simmer. Cover and place in the oven. Bake covered for 2 hours. If you are short on time, 1 hour will work also.
Remove the lid and proceed baking uncovered for another 1-2 hours until thickened, stirring occasionally. Be very careful when opening the oven as the humidity that builds up in the oven may burn you. Open the oven and step aside allowing the steam to escape. During the last hour or two, your sauce will thicken. However, if at any point the liquid gets too low and the sauce looks dry - add a splash of chicken stock as needed. This should not happen in a low oven, however, may happen if your oven is running hotter than it should.
Skim off some of the fat. I like to add a splash of cream and stir the sauce to help emulsify it while giving the sauce lighter colour that reminds the diner this sauce is uniquely prepared with the use of some dairy. You don't have to add cream, totally optional. Remember to remove your bay leaves and Parmesan rind.
Bolognese is traditionally served with egg tagliatelle lightly coated with butter. Place your sauce on top of the noodles, shave some Parmesan on top and garnish with some parsley.
Ingredients
Directions
This delicious meat sauce is cooked for a long time, but most of it is unattended. The first 10-15 minutes are, however, busy. So let's get ready before we start:
-preheat the oven to 300°
- chop your veggies finely
- pour 1/2 cup wine into your measuring cup
- combine stock, milk and bay leaves in a large measuring cup (this way it's all added at once and you don't forget the bay leaves)
- open the can of your tomatoes
- heat oil on medium high heat in your Dutch oven, or oven-safe pot you will be making your sauce in for 3-4 minutes until shimmering
- heat butter in a large non-stick pan over medium high heat for 3-4 minutes until shimmering
Add your ground meat to the Dutch oven and your mirepoix (onion, celery and carrot) and red pepper flakes to the skillet with butter. Sprinkle each pan with a pinch of kosher salt and cook stirring each occasionally. Your meat will need 5-10 minutes - you are just looking to cook it until no longer pink, while breaking and squishing any lumps; pour out some of the fat. For the veggies, you are looking to soften them. After about 7 minutes, add parsley and garlic to the vegetables and cook for a few minutes until fragrant.
Add the red wine to the meat after it's no longer pink and cook until the wine is mostly evaporated. Your veggies should be about ready so add them to the pan also.
Add the milk, stock, bay leaves and parmesan rind, if using. Start adding tomatoes and their juices, squishing each tomato with your fingers as you add it. Bring the mixture to simmer. Cover and place in the oven. Bake covered for 2 hours. If you are short on time, 1 hour will work also.
Remove the lid and proceed baking uncovered for another 1-2 hours until thickened, stirring occasionally. Be very careful when opening the oven as the humidity that builds up in the oven may burn you. Open the oven and step aside allowing the steam to escape. During the last hour or two, your sauce will thicken. However, if at any point the liquid gets too low and the sauce looks dry - add a splash of chicken stock as needed. This should not happen in a low oven, however, may happen if your oven is running hotter than it should.
Skim off some of the fat. I like to add a splash of cream and stir the sauce to help emulsify it while giving the sauce lighter colour that reminds the diner this sauce is uniquely prepared with the use of some dairy. You don't have to add cream, totally optional. Remember to remove your bay leaves and Parmesan rind.
Bolognese is traditionally served with egg tagliatelle lightly coated with butter. Place your sauce on top of the noodles, shave some Parmesan on top and garnish with some parsley.
