Classic Bolognese Sauce – great ragu or meat sauce, with some tomatoes (not tomato sauce with meat as is the common misconception).
Easy to make and great to enjoy; leftovers (if you have any) taste just as good, and if you are making a big pot, it freezes well.
It takes a few hours but most of that is simmering time. The prep work is minimal and takes about 20 minutes.
What you need:
Ground meat about 1.5 lb or roughly half a kilo will make a good sized batch – I use primarily beef but you can mix beef and pork
1 medium onion chopped
1 or 2 carrots chopped
1 or 2 stalks of celery chopped
A few garlic cloves chopped
A few cups of beef or vegetable stock
A few cups of crushed or finely chopped tomatoes – I use my home canned tomatoes that have been mashed but have skins on.
About 1 cup of milk
Olive oil
Seasonings – Sea salt and black pepper and I also add some dried crushed oregano and basil I dried from my herb garden. You can use fresh herbs, just add them before the sauce is finished.
Pasta of your choice – preferably fresh (If I am able to I will pick up fresh pasta from De Luca’s as well as the meat http://www.deluca.ca )
I use a couple pans – one to brown the meat and one to sauté the onions and garlic and carrots/celery.
If the meat is not lean I will drain off some of the fat.
I like to simmer the sauce for 1.5 to 2 hours. Check it every now and then give it a stir. About 30 minutes before you are ready to serve, add the milk and bring to a boil, then back down to simmer. You can taste the sauce for seasonings and add as desired.
Boil the salted water for the pasta and cook (4 – 5 minutes for fresh and up to 12 minutes for dried).
Serve up with some fresh parmesan and ground pepper, fresh basil if desired and garlic toast or toasted bread with olive oil.
Bon Appetit!