Ingredients
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1 pound ground or minced beef
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1/2 pound ground or minced veal or pork
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1/2 large onion
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2 medium carrot
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2 stalks celery
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4 garlic cloves
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1 cube beef bouillon
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1/2 cup red wine
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26 ounces (750 grams) tomatoes, in can or box
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salt, to taste
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a few tablespoons olive oil
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garnish
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a few leaves fresh basil
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to taste Parmesan cheese, grated for the table
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for pasta
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1 1/2 pounds for starter, 2 1/2 pounds for main course of fettuccine, rigatoni, fusilli, tagliatelle
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salt, at least a handful
Directions
1
Done
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Finely chop the onion and garlic. Roughly chop the carrots and celery. You are making a mirepoix (French name) or soffritto (in Italian) which is finely chopped carrots, celery and onions used for the base of many sauces. |
2
Done
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Place olive oil in large saucepan over medium heat and add the onions, carrots, celery, cooking for 4- 5 minutes until soft. |
3
Done
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Add the garlic and cook another 2 minutes. |
4
Done
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Break up the ground meat (both types) with your hands and add to saucepan. Mix well and brown the meat for 7-8 minutes. |
5
Done
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Crumble in the beef bouillon cube, mix. You usually do not need to add salt now because of the bouillon cube yet once meat cooked after the next step, add salt to taste. |
6
Done
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Pour in the red wine, let bubble until the wine evaporates into the meat, about 5 minutes. Test for salt. |
7
Done
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Add the tomatoes and mix well. Let simmer on low heat for 2 hours. Stir occasionally to make sure nothing burns on the bottom. |
8
Done
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For the pastaBring a large pot of water to a boil, 4 quarts (about 2 litres). You want plenty of water, pasta needs to move around or it may become mushy. If you do not have a large pot, use two small ones. |
9
Done
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Add a generous bit of salt - or a general rule is 1 heaping tablespoon for each pound of pasta. The water should be "slightly less salty than the sea." |
10
Done
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Add your favorite pasta shape for Bolognese sauce, but most traditional is tagliatelle, rigatoni, or fusilli, mix around. Set timer for 5 minutes and begin testing for al dente. |
11
Done
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Once the pasta is al dente (slightly chewy and resistant to the bite), remove immediately and drain. For this sauce, I do not reserve any pasta water since the sauce does not require it. |
12
Done
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Add immediately to the sauce and serve in a large bowl or in individual bowls, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. You can add a sprig of basil for some color. |