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Spaghetti Bolognese

Source of Recipe

From "See You On Sunday" by Sam Sifton


Recipe Introduction

"Spaghetti Bolognese isn't found in Italy, really. Meaty Bolognese sauce there is often combined with wider, flatter pasta, such as tagliatelle, or as the base of a lasagna. The dish is nonetheless popular all over the world and perhaps especially in Britain and Australia, where 'spag bol' is a kids' menu standby. (Trivia tip: Harry Potter and Hermione Granger shared a dinner of spaghetti Bolognese in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.) I like it for chilly days when I can have the pot of sauce burbling on the stove for hours, in front of evenings when the crowd runs to young and old, and I want to serve a pasta sauce that is hearty and rich, with a soft undertone from the milk and cheese. (If you want to double down on that experience, do as Craig Claiborne did and add a few chopped chicken livers to the pot when you sauté the beef. This adds a velvety thrum to the sauce that there is no reason to explain to the children.) Make sure to shower the finished sauce and pasta with grated Parmesan, and do not forget to accompany the meal with garlic bread. Encourage messiness! This is kids' food for grown-ups."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 2 tablespoons neutral oil, such as canola or grapeseed
â—¦ 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus 2 tablespoons for serving
â—¦ 3 medium red onions, peeled and diced
â—¦ 3 celery stalks, trimmed and diced
â—¦ 3 carrots, peeled and diced
â—¦ 1 ½ pounds ground beef, or 1 pound ground beef and ½ pound ground pork
â—¦ Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
â—¦ 1 tablespoon tomato paste
â—¦ 2 cups whole milk
â—¦ 1 nutmeg for grating
â—¦ 2 cups dry red wine
â—¦ One 28-ounce can peeled whole tomatoes, with their juices
â—¦ ½ to ¾ cup chicken or beef stock, ideally homemade or low-sodium, or water
â—¦ 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, or to taste
â—¦ 2 pounds dried spaghetti
â—¦ Grated Parmesan cheese


Recipe

Place a large, heavy-bottomed, high-sided pot or Dutch oven over medium heat and swirl into it the oil and then the butter. When the butter is foaming, add the onions and cook, stirring often with a wooden spoon, until they begin to turn translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the celery and carrots and cook for another 5 minutes or so, stirring often to coat them with the fat.

Add the meat, along with a healthy spray of salt and pepper, and cook, stirring to break up the meat, until it releases its liquid and is about to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Use your spoon to create an opening on the bottom of the pot and add to it the tomato paste. Stir this around in small circles until it begins to melt and caramelize, about 2 minutes, then stir the pot to incorporate it into the whole.

Add the milk and stir to combine, then cook at a low simmer, stirring occasionally, until it has reduced almost entirely, about 20 minutes. Then grate some nutmeg over the top—six or so strokes on a Microplane, or about ¼ teaspoon—and stir to combine.

Add the wine to the pot and stir to combine, then repeat the process of reducing it until it is mostly gone, another 15 minutes or so. Stir in the tomatoes, breaking them up with the spoon, and reduce the heat to the barest of simmers. Add the stock and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for as long as you can stand it: 2 or 3 hours is good. If the sauce threatens to dry out, you can add a few splashes of water or, better yet, more stock. Add some more salt, if needed, and stir in the vinegar just before serving.

Meanwhile, set a large pot of salted water to boil over high heat. Cook the pasta until it is just al dente, approximately 8 to 12 minutes, then drain, reserving 1 cup of the water on the side. Toss the sauce with the pasta and the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a large, warmed bowl, loosening it if necessary with a little of the reserved pasta water. Serve with lots and lots of grated Parmesan on the side.

Serves 6