Truly, The Best-Ever Bolognese Sauce (Slowly Simmered)

Instructions

1. 01

   First, the soffritto: to the bowl of a food processor, add the roughly chopped carrot, celery, and onion. Pulse to break the veggies down into fine pieces. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside. For the pastata: add the pancetta and garlic to the same food processor (no need to wash/rinse it!) and pulse to break the mixture down into fine pieces–the garlic should disappear into the pancetta fat. Set aside.

2. 02

   Add the olive oil to a large, heavy-bottomed pot (at least 4-quart capacity) over medium heat. Once hot and shimmering, carefully add the pestata mixture from Step 1. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the pestata renders, about 4-5 minutes. The pancetta will be golden and garlic will be fragrant.

3. 03

   Add the soffritto mixture from Step 1 to the pot with the rendered pestata. Season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Stir to combine well. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the soffritto is deeply browned and fragrant, 15-20 minutes. If the vegetables brown too quickly, reduce the heat to medium or medium-low. Once browned, push the soffritto mixture to the outer edges of the pot.

4. 04

   Season the ground beef and pork generously with 1 teaspoon kosher salt each. Add to the center of the pot. Cook 2-3 minutes without disturbing so the meat deeply browns. Once browned on both sides, use a wooden spoon to break the meat into fine pieces. Stir to combine with the soffritto. Stir the tomato paste to the pan, coating the meat mixture. Cook 3-4 minutes longer, until deeply browned.

5. 05

   Slowly pour in the red wine, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits that may have formed on the bottom of the pan. Simmer until the wine is nearly cooked off, 4-5 minutes.

6. 06

   Use kitchen twine to tie the fresh herbs together (or finely chop if you do not have twine). Add the herbs, bay leaves, and parmesan rind (if using) to the pot. Stir in the crushed tomatoes tomatoes and broth/water – I like starting with about 1 cup broth/water at first, stirring more in as needed while the sauce simmers.

7. 07

   Bring the bolognese sauce to a boil, then reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Partially cover the pot (place the lid on the pot such that it’s just partially covered, allowing some steam to escape as the sauce simmers). Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 90 minutes. If the bolognese sauce begins to reduce too much, add in a splash of broth/water and/or turn the heat down further.

8. 08

   Once simmered, remove the spent herbs, bay leaves, and parmesan rind from the pot and discard. Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning as desired. At this point, you can cool and store for later use or proceed with pasta bolognese assembly (below).

9. 09

   Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is cooked to al dente according to package directions. Carefully dip a liquid measuring cup into the pot, reserving about 1 cup of the starchy pasta water, and set aside. Carefully drain the pasta – do not rinse it! (Learn more! ⇢ How to Cook Pasta Perfectly Every Single Time!)

10. 10

    Meanwhile, as the pasta boils, bring the bolognese sauce up to a simmer. Stir in the heavy cream and parmesan cheese. Continue to simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally.

11. 11

    Add the cooked pasta to the pot with the bolognese sauce, tossing to coat. The bolognese sauce should evenly coat the pasta. Add in some of the reserved pasta water if the sauce needs to loosen up a little; add in an extra handful of parmesan if it needs to tighten up a little. Cook over medium heat for 1-2 minutes, allowing the pasta to meld with and absorb some of the bolognese sauce.

12. 12

    Portion the pasta bolognese into individual pasta bowls, topping with additional grated parmesan, chopped fresh herbs, and/or crushed red pepper as desired. Serve immediately. Enjoy!