Fun Fearless Foodie

Before I start raving about my first Bolognese, let me say a huge thank you to the President’s that made my day off today possible, without you I might not have had time to sip my coffee and leisurely write this blog.

Now on to the Italian classic…

According to The Food Lover’s Companion, “ragu Bolognese [rah-GOO boh-loh-NYEH-zeh] is a thick, full-bodied meat sauce that is a staple of northern Italy’s Bologna region.”  The sauce (which is not very saucy at all) is composed of ground meat, pancetta, tomatoes, onions, carrots, celery, and garlic enhanced with wine, milk or cream, and seasonings and is typically cooked over low heat for an extended period of time. A dish that is served “alla Bolognese” signifies a pasta or other dished sauced with ragu.  An Italian ragu and the French ragout are not the same dish at all, but both names are derived from the verb ragouter, which means to “stimulate the appetite.”

For Valentine’s day this year I was searching for the perfect dish to prepare for my boyfriend that would show him how much I love him.  I have been wanting to learn how to prepare a traditional Bolognese for some time now, and considering the time and energy that goes into preparing it, there seemed like no better testament to my love than this dish.

Every classic dish tends to have a million interpretations, and this was no exception.  I spent a good part of my Friday night and Saturday morning researching recipes and looking for one that most resembled a “traditional” Bolognese.  Surprisingly enough the Italian chef’s I went to instantly, Giada and Mario, did not have recipes that seemed to be the real deal (at least according to the hundreds of reviews I read) so my search continued, and after reading article upon article and recipe after recipe I realized that I would have to use my best judgement and create a hybrid recipe.

I settled upon a base recipe from Emeril for Linguine Bolognese but modified the ingredients and instructions slightly.  Anne Burrell of “Secrets of a Restaurant Chef” had a really helpful video (see end of post) on FoodNetwork.com that provided some further insight into the importance of browning the veggies that Emeril left out.  He also called for the addition of both whole milk and cream, and based on research and my taste preference, I went with cream only and used only enough to create the creamy consistency that was desired.  Finally, I used a mixture of ground pork and veal which are a popular choice for meatballs and other Italian meat dishes as opposed to ground beef.  This did add to the price tag of my dish, but it was a special occasion so I splurged.  You could certainly do this with a less expensive cut of meat and get great results.

It is also important to note that a ragu alla Bolognese is not a really sauce, it is meat lightly coated in a creamy sauce.  Meat is the superstar of this dish so those who are looking for a saucy sauce will be disappointed.  I was amazed at reading a lot of the recipe reviews where people were complaining that there was not enough sauce and were adding jars of Marinara to it. I am all for making modifications to dishes, in fact I love doing it, but when it comes to a classic I am of the mindset that some things are best left the way the culinary Gods intended.

All in all this dish took me 2 1/2 hours to prepare from start to finish and the end result was a thick, creamy, and savory meat sauce that achieved the ultimate goal of stimulating our appetites.  While some will still argue with me that this is not traditional enough, based on what I could determine it’s pretty darn close. Don’t be intimidated by this dish, while it is time consuming, it is inherently simple. Regardless of who you are preparing this dish for, they will know a lot of love went into it.

Penne Bolognese

adapted from Emeril Lagasse’s Linguine Bolognese

Serves 4-6 (makes great leftovers!)

Ingredients

• 6 ounces bacon or pancetta, diced
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups yellow onion, chopped
• 1 1/4 cups carrots, chopped
• 3/4 cup celery, chopped
• Salt and fresh ground black pepper
• 3/4 lb ground pork
• 3/4 lb ground veal
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup tomato paste
• 1/2 cup tomato puree
• Thyme bundle
• 3 cups reduced-sodium beef broth (chicken stock would also work)
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 pound penne pasta, prepared according to package directions
• Fresh grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions

Before you begin, prep all of your ingredients and have them measured out in an easy to reach place near your stovetop. Also called mise en place (everything in its place).

1. Place the onions, carrots, and celery in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade.  Pulse until all vegetables are finely minced but not pureed.  If you don’t have a food processor you will need to finely dice each vegetable.
2. Heat a dutch oven or deep, heavy bottom pot over medium heat.  Add the bacon or pancetta and cook until crispy and almost all the fat has been rendered.
3. Add the oil and let come to temperature for 30 seconds.
4. Add the diced vegetable mixture and sprinkle with salt and pepper (use your taste judgement here). Stir to coat in the oil and fat. Continue cooking the mixture, stirring occasionally to prevent burning, for 20 minutes or until the vegetable are golden brown. (see video).
5. Add the meat mixture to the pot and break up with a hard spatula or spoon to ensure the pieces are fairly even in size. Cook until browned, about 7 minutes.
6. Pour in the wine, tomato paste, puree and garlic and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
7. Add the thyme bundle and beef broth and bring to a boil. Lower the heat so that the sauce just simmers. Simmer, partially covered, for 15 minutes.
8. After the sauce has simmered for 15 minutes, remove the lid and at even intervals, start adding the cream little by little–1/4 cup or so at a time over 11/2 hours. By the end of the 11/2 hours, the cream should be completely incorporated and the sauce should be very thick and creamy.
9. Towards the end of the cooking process taste the sauce to ensure it is seasoned correctly.  Add more salt if needed.
10. When done, remove the pot from heat and cover.  Let sit while you prepare the pasta.
11. Cook the penne in a pot of well salted water.  Drain.
12. Add half the bolognese to the bottom of a large bowl.  Pour in the pasta and mix to ensure each piece is coated with the meat sauce.
13. To serve, top each helping of pasta with another ladleful of Bolognese and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

The leftover bolognese can be refrigerated for up to 5 days, or frozen for up to 2 weeks.

I served this dish with one of my favorite wines that happened to be on sale at Whole Foods, Conundrum, which is a white blend that has a sweet and buttery flavor.  If you are a red wine drinker this dish would pair very nicely with a Pinot Noir.

Bon Appetit!

This is the video of Chef Anne Burrell preparing her Bolognese.  Pay attention to the first few minutes where she cooks the vegetables.  You can disregard her further instructions for this recipe.