Call it sugo, call it ragú, call it bolognese - the name doesn’t change the fact that if you grew up in Italy, a tomato-based meat sauce for pasta is part of the trove of your taste memories. If, like me, you also happen to bear the last name that defined the history of pasta in Italy, then you grew up in a family where pasta was what kept you nourished, clothed, and sheltered. Put the two together, and you can imagine how big the piece of my heart occupied by a bolognese is.
As a Bay Area cooking instructor to engaged and passionate home cooks, I have studied and experimented for 5 years before crafting a bolognese recipe that is both foolproof and sensational (pardon the lack of modesty…) and a standard in my teaching repertoire. My ‘gnaise, as it is affectionately known in our home, is also my son’s ultimate happy food, the same way my mother’s was mine.
Right now, at a time when the comfort of touch is off-limits, the sensorial part of a pot of bolognese bubbling on the stove stands in for the lack of physical closeness. Its mumbling recalls the soft laughter of gossiping with friends. Its warmth wafts up the 15ft ceiling of our San Francisco loft and I step into it the way I would into the thousand embraces I miss.
Bolognese has become the dish my family cannot do without, the staple which is always in our refrigerator and can be transformed in a piping heap of delight and comfort at a moment’s notice. This is my gift to all who are doing their part and staying home.
Ragù alla bolognese by Viola Buitoni (Bolognese meat sauce)
yields 1 quart of sauce
Ingredients:
1/4 pound pancetta
1.5 pound fatty ground beef
1 medium onion - 2 carrots
1 celery stalks - 2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter - 2 bay leaves - 1 cup dry red wine - 1.5 pints beef stock - 2 tablespoons tomato concentrate - salt and pepper to taste
1 cup whole milk
Method:
Cut the pancetta in chunks and run it through the food processor to turn into a cream. Place it in a bowl with the ground beef, add 2 teaspoons of salt and massage with your hands to combine the pancetta paste and the meat evenly. Leave on the counter to come to room temperature while you are preparing the rest of the ingredients.
Clean the vegetables and dice them finely. Heat the beef stock, dilute the tomato concentrate in it. Keep it warm.
Select a wide shallow saucepan with a heavy bottom. Heat over medium-low flame and pour in the olive oil. When the oil is runny and shimmery, toss in the butter. When the butter foams and turns slightly beige, add the minced the vegetables and bay leaves with a teaspoon of salt.
The vegetables will slowly soften, then start to turn a little golden and sweet and delicious. Give them time to do what they need to do, this is the stage you do not want to rush, as a well-tended and developed soffritto will make the difference between a competent bolognese and an unforgettable one. This process will take 25 to 30 minutes, during which you will occasionally need to stir the vegetables to ensure they aren’t sticking to the bottom of the pan. Should they be, you can add a little warm water.
Before moving to the next step, please be sure there is no excess moisture left in the pot. Raise the heat and add the ground meat and pancetta. Sauté while stirring almost continuously to break down the clumps. If you own one, use a tomato masher to un-clump.
When the meat has changed color from right pink to beige, douse with the red wine, being mindful to scrap all the caramelized bits off the bottom of the pan. When the wine no longer punches your face and makes you squint, rather it caresses your nose, it is time to stir in the stock and tomato concentrate.
Let it quickly come to a boil, then bring the heat back down to medium-low, cover the pot and simmer for 35 minutes. Uncover and let the excess moisture evaporate for about 10 minutes.
Heat the milk to right below the boil. Lower the heat under the meat and slowly stream in the milk stirring continuously. Simmer very gently for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, until the milk has bonded with the sauce with minimal curdling. Adjust salt and pepper.
To cool and store safely, transfer to a cold bowl and refrigerate uncovered to cool as quickly as possible. Transfer into a sealed container. It will keep for 10 days in the refrigerator and up to 6 months in the freezer.
Notes: This amount will be enough for about 1.5 pound of pasta, egg tagliatelle are ideal, but really any cut will do. I always make more than I need because it is a great go-to dinner in a pinch. Always remember to serve abundant grated Parmigiano on the side. Last but not least, this is also the king ingredient in lasagna alla bolognese.
Extra Tip: go to @lacucinaitalianausa Instagram account and you'll see Viola cooking the bolognese in the Highlights!