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Midnight Bolognese with Rigatoni

Source of Recipe

From "The Home Cook" by Alex Guarnaschelli


Recipe Introduction

"Why midnight? I love to eat leftovers of this while standing at the open door of the fridge at midnight...This is a classic I might enjoy even more than pasta with straight tomato sauce. All you have to do to make something delicious here is to add salt at the right times. The beef and pasta both need quite a bit of seasoning to come to life. While the sauce is classically finished with milk, I add cream instead for richness and to smooth the edges. Don't tell my grandmother about this. Why rigatoni? I love the way this sauce gets caught in the ridges of the pasta."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
â—¦ 2 ounces pancetta, finely chopped
â—¦ 1 medium carrot, grated
â—¦ 2 small yellow inner celery stalks, thinly sliced
â—¦ 2 medium shallots, finely sliced
â—¦ 5 cloves garlic, minced
â—¦ 1 teaspoon sugar
â—¦ Kosher salt
â—¦ 1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes
â—¦ 2 tablespoons canola oil
â—¦ 1 ½ pounds ground beef, preferably chuck
â—¦ 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
â—¦ 1 cup dry white wine
â—¦ ¼ cup heavy cream
â—¦ 1 pound dried rigatoni pasta, preferably De Cecco brand
â—¦ 1 ½ to 2 cups finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese


Recipe

Make the sauce: In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring, so it browns slightly, 1 minute. Add the carrot, celery, shallots, and garlic. Season with the sugar and 1 tablespoon salt. Cook until the shallots become translucent, 5 to 8 minutes. Add the canned tomatoes with their juices and bring to a simmer over low heat until the tomatoes break down, 10 to 15 minutes.

While the tomatoes are simmering, cook the beef: Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the canola oil. When the oil begins to smoke lightly, add the ground beef in a single layer, season it with 2 teaspoons salt, and cook, stirring, until browned, 5 to 8 minutes. Then stir in the red pepper flakes and the white wine, and simmer over medium heat until the wine cooks out and melds with the beef, 5 to 8 minutes. Taste for seasoning. Pour the tomato sauce and the cream over the ground beef. Stir to blend. Simmer over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, then remove from the heat and allow the sauce to rest while the pasta cooks.

Cook the pasta: In a large pot, bring 6 quarts water to a rolling boil over high heat and season with ½ cup salt. The pasta water should taste like seawater. Add the rigatoni and stir with a slotted spoon to make sure it does not clump or stick to the bottom as it cooks. Cook the pasta until it is al dente (chewy but not hard or raw-tasting), 5 to 8 minutes. Drain the pasta in a large colander, reserving some of the pasta water in case you need it to adjust the texture of the sauce.

Assemble the dish: Toss the pasta with the bolognese sauce in the skillet, coating it with the sauce. Stir in some of the reserved pasta water if the mixture seems too dry or too thick. Serve immediately, with the Parmigiano-Reggiano on the side.

Serves 6 to 8