In the world of pasta sauce, there is the Americanized red sauce with meat… and then there is the Italian-style Spaghetti with Bolognese Sauce Recipe. In the Italian version, the meat is the star, and there is just a hint of tomato. Being an American who learned to cook in Italy, I love both styles. But this blog is dedicated to the Italian version, where the meat reigns supreme.
If you’re a purist, read the next few paragraphs before you toss my recipe out. I have taken the best things about traditional Bolognese sauce and added my twist. The basics of Bolognese sauce are a slightly sweet oh-so-rich meat sauce. I actually like it even sweeter, so I’ve added more sweet vegetables. Then I add one ingredients which I think is necessary to amp up the flavor–basil.
I think it’s interesting that Bolognese sauce originated in Bologna,which is a hop, skip and a jump from Genoa, which is also in Northern Italy. Genoa is a famous for Basil Genovese, one of my favorite all-time sauces. (Click here for my homemade pesto recipe.) You would think that the two cities would have been combined their famed foods centuries ago, but it’s hard to find a Spaghetti with Bolognese Sauce recipe from Italy that includes either basil or pesto. I’ve fixed that long-standing feud between rival cities, and the end product is better for it. Think of it as the Italian version of chocolate meeting peanut butter. What’s not to love?
The slight sweetness of the Genovese sauce is from the carrots, and I like this natural sweetness so I enhance it by adding red peppers as well. The richness of this sauce is from the last few ingredients you add–whole milk, butter, and Parmesan cheese. It’s important for this recipe to turn out that you don’t use cream… and please for the love of Bacchus, do not use skim milk! And while we’re on the subject, there is no substitute for butter. (Don’t even think about using margarine.) One final note…if you leave out the butter altogether, you’ve made something altogether un-Italian. Make tomorrow a butter-free day if you must, but this Spaghetti with Bolognese sauce recipe demands butter!
Wine Pairing with Spaghetti with Bolognese Sauce Recipe
This rich sauce demands a red that can stand up to the meat, butter and Parmesan. The acidity in the tomatoes will thank you for an acidic wine. Try one of the following:
- Zinfandel
- Italian Barbera
- a Sicilian red with Nero d’Avola
- A Sangiovese blend
As always, let me know in the comments below how your sauce turned out and what wine you paired with it.
Pasta with Bolognese Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. ground beef
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 1 red pepper diced
- 2 stalks celery diced
- 2 medium carrots peeled and shredded
- 1/2 cup tomato paste
- 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
- 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
- 1 cup white wine
- 2 tsp. salt
- 2 tsp. pepper
- 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cup basil leaves packed
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese finely grated
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup butter
Instructions
- Saute beef with olive oil until brown but not crisp. Drain fat and set aside. Saute onion in saucepan until brown. Set aside. Saute red pepper, celery and carrots until soft (about 17-20 minutes).
- Combine all sauteed items in a stock pot or slow cooker. Add tomato paste, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, chicken stock, wine, salt, pepper, nutmeg, bay leaves and basil leaves. If you don’t have fresh basil, you can use 1/2 cup of canned pesto. Let simmer for a minimum of 1 hour. If cooking in a slow cooker, cook for 4 hours.
- About 30 minutes prior to serving, add Parmesan, milk and butter. Stir until well combined and simmer covered for at least 20 minutes.
- Serve over your favorite pasta, cooked al dente. Garnish with more Parmesan cheese and fresh basil.
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