Ingredients
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2012-13 GOURMET
MENU #3: FEBRUARY 2, 2013: SIMPLE ITALIAN RECIPES TO COOK AT HOME: RECIPES BY MARIO BATALI
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PAPPARDELLE BOLOGNESE
In Italian cuisine, a ragu is a meat-based sauce, which is commonly served with pasta. Characteristically, it contains braised or stewed meat that may be flavored with tomato, to distinguish it from a tomato sauce that is flavored with the addition of meat. So don’t be surprised by how little tomato there is in this recipe this is a sauce you can sink your teeth into!
Bolognese is perhaps Italy’s best-known and loved ragu. Mario’s classic version is simply delicious and easy to make plus it holds well in the fridge for four days and will freeze for a month so you’ll be able to enjoy this hearty, Italian favorite for Sunday dinner as often as you like yum!
Ingredients
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 medium onions, finely chopped
6 celery stalks, finely chopped
3 carrots, finely chopped
7 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
1 lb. ground pork
1 lb. ground veal
1 lb. ground beef
6 oz. pancetta, ground
1 ½ cans tomato paste (approximately 9 oz.)
1 ½ cups dry white wine
1 ½ cups milk
1 ½ teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
2 lbs. pappardelle pasta
Freshly-grated Parmagiano-Reggiano
Preparation
In an 8-10 quart, heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions, celery, carrots and garlic and cook over medium heat until the vegetables are translucent but not browned, approximately 5-10 minutes. Add the veal, pork, beef and pancetta and stir into the vegetables. Brown the mixture over high heat, stirring to keep the meat from sticking. Add the tomato paste, wine, milk and thyme, bring just to a boil, then cover and simmer over medium-low heat for several hours. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
At the host’s home, just before serving, boil and salt the water for the pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Reheat the sauce and spoon a generous amount over each dish of pasta. Sprinkle with freshly grated Parmagiano-Reggiano cheese.
Chef’s notes: This recipe calls for 3 lbs of meat we chose to use the beef, pork, veal combination but you can choose any 3 lb. combination that works for you or your group. Whether you choose all beef or just pork and veal it’s up to you as long as you stick with 3 lbs of total meat. Consider any dietary restrictions and/or preferences and plan accordingly. If you decide to go with all three, most stores sell a combination meatloaf mix with all three packaged together! We found it at Whole Foods. We used Severino brand “Hand Nested Pappardelle” pasta found in the cheese section at Whole Foods (you’ll use three bags of this brand), which we highly recommend, although any fresh or dried pappardelle will do. The original recipe says to simmer the sauce for 1 to 1 ½ hours but we found it needed more time and actually cooked it on medium-low and low heat for closer to four hours (stirring occasionally). We felt it needed the extra time to really let the flavors blend, the veggies break down and the wine to cook off. Make sure to keep it covered though, so it doesn’t dry out too much. You can make the sauce a day ahead or the morning of if you wish then just refrigera
