Veal Bolognese
My husband’s favorite Italian dish is, hands down, pasta with a bolognese sauce. He’s ordered it in every Italian restaurant we’ve ever been to and even has them mentally ranked. It seemed only natural for me to figure out a way for my bolognese to get to the top of his list. Mission accomplished.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 large onion (or 2 small ones), chopped into 1 inch pieces
- 6 garlic cloves
- 2 large carrots, chopped into 1 inch pieces
- 3 large celery stalks, chopped into 1 inch pieces
- Olive oil to coat the pan
- 3 lb. lean ground veal (you could also use ground beef or turkey)
- 2 cups tomato paste
- 1 1/2 cups good red wine
- Water
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 bunch fresh thyme, tied in a bundle
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp dried basil
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2/3 cup heavy cream (room temp)
- 1/2 – 1 cup powdered Parmesan or Romano cheese
*This recipe makes enough sauce for 2 lb. of pasta – keep in mind that this sauce freezes really well
HOW TO MAKE IT
- Combine the onion, garlic, carrots and celery in a food processor and process until it forms a course paste
- Coat the bottom of a large sauce pan with olive oil and then add in the pureed vegetables
- Season the puree with salt and pepper and cook over medium-high heat for 15-20 minutes or until the water has evaporated
- Add in the ground veal, season with salt and pepper and cook until the meat is totally browned, about 15-20 minutes
- Add in the tomato paste, dried herbs, red pepper flakes and nutmeg and mix well – cook for another 5 minutes
- Add in the red wine and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring frequently
- Add water to the pot until the meat is covered with an inch of water – add in the bay leaves and bundle of thyme and mix well
- Bring the contents of the pot to a boil and then reduce the heat so the sauce is simmering
- Now, is the painful part – allow the sauce to simmer uncovered for AT LEAST 2 hours, ideally you want the sauce to simmer for 3-4 hours, stir it frequently
- You want the bolognese to be a very meaty consistency – not really “saucy”
- If you find that your sauce is getting too thick, add some more water and continue to simmer
- When you think that your sauce looks ready, add in the cream and blend well
- Add about half of the sauce to 1 lb. of cooked pasta and toss in at least 1/2 cup powdered Parmesan or Romano cheese – stir well and enjoy!
- You can freeze the other half of the sauce and defrost it when you’re ready to have it again!
