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Bolognese Sauce with Pappardelle

Source of Recipe

From "In the Kitchen with David" by David Venable


Recipe Introduction

"I still remember the first time I saw this dish on a menu and asked the waiter to describe it. He went into a long description—how the sauce made with three kinds of meat was slowly simmered, how the carrots melted into the sauce, and how milk, the secret ingredient, added smoothness. He then added that the savory sauce was served on a bed of pasta called pappardelle. While pappardelle, wide flat noodles similar to fettuccine, are the traditional accompaniment, any pasta works with this rich, meaty sauce."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
â—¦ 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
â—¦ 1 small onion, finely diced
â—¦ 1 carrot, finely diced
â—¦ 1 celery stalk, finely diced
â—¦ ½ pound ground beef chuck
â—¦ ½ pound ground pork
â—¦ ½ pound ground veal
â—¦ Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
â—¦ 1 cup dry white wine
â—¦ 1 cup milk
â—¦ Pinch of ground nutmeg
â—¦ 1 (28-ounce) can tomato purée
â—¦ 1 pound pappardelle or other pasta
â—¦ ½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano


Recipe

Heat the olive oil and butter in a Dutch oven over moderately high heat until the foaming subsides. Add the onion, carrot, and celery and sauté until the vegetables soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the ground beef, pork, and veal and cook, stirring, until the meat is no longer pink, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the white wine and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the wine has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Add the milk and nutmeg and cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes.

Stir the puréed tomatoes into the sauce and bring to a simmer. Simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened and the flavors are blended, about 1 ½ hours.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pappardelle and cook until tender but still firm to the bite. Drain the pasta and divide it among warm bowls. Ladle on the sauce and toss with the pasta. Serve immediately with the Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Makes 4 servings