Bolognese
My sweet niece who grew up in Bologna, Italy made this recipe for us one day while we were at a football game and I will never forget the aroma and warmth when we stepped through the door. It was so special and heart-warming to know that she spent her day preparing and sharing her family recipe. Not to mention how amazingly delicious and satisfying after a long day. I’ve slightly adapted this recipe. If you don’t finish it all, it does great in the freezer (sauce only, no pasta). Enjoy!
Bolognese
Servings: 8 people
Ingredients
- 3 lbs ground beef
- 2 carrots
- 1 yellow onion
- 2 stalks celery
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp butter
- 4 cups passata
- 1 cup red wine
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 4 cups beef stock
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Dice the carrots, onion and celery.
- Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add olive oil and butter, allowing butter to become foamy. Sautee the vegetables until soft but not browned. About 5 minutes.
- Add the ground beef to the Dutch oven and cooked until browned, stirring frequently, breaking up the meat. If there is excess fat after browning the meat, remove some of it.
- Clear the center of the pan and add the tomato paste. Allow paste to brown slightly to develop the flavor. After a few minutes, stir the tomato paste into the beef and vegetables.
- Add the wine and allow alcohol to cook out for a few minutes.
- Add the passata, beef stock, bay leaf and salt and pepper.
- Simmer uncovered for 3 hours or more, stirring frequently. Occasionally add water when sauce becomes too thick.
- Serve with pasta and lots of freshly grated parmesan.