I am not Italian and I am not a Nonna. Simply a passionate home cook trying to get my toddler to eat a hearty meal with some vegetables (conveniently hidden). I’m American and it was my first time attempting a bolognese sauce recipe. I think it turned out great.
My recipe below is based on the original from Marcella Hazan. She’s credited with bringing Italian cooking to many American dinner tables. Maybe an Italian version of Julia Child? I’ve tried a few of Julia’s recipes too!
You’ll notice I made a few modifications that make Marcella’s recipe a little healthier and maybe even better. Although you be the judge. It wouldn’t be the first time an American thought he was unreasonably exceptional.Â
A few notes on MY Bolognese Sauce Recipe
My biggest modification to Marcella’s original recipe was with the milk. We don’t drink whole milk in our house (or any cow’s milk for that matter) so I substituted almond milk. Unlike with my Parisian gnocchi recipe where I did something similar, I think it worked pretty well this time.Â
Yes, the sauce lost some creaminess, but I would challenge you to detect it. The health benefits you gained in exchange far outweigh any (undetectable) loss in creaminess.Â
Also, I’ve noticed that some people put chicken stock in their bolognese sauce recipe. I think that’s a mistake. There is so much flavor already from the ingredients list below that chicken stock is unnecessary and arguably off-putting against the purity of the other ingredients.Â
Grab yourself a decent bottle of dry white riesling, and it will do more than enough to add the flavor you need.Â
My final point: DO NOT USE SPAGHETTI NOODLES. How did this ever catch on in America?
Spaghetti is a terrible noodle choice for a bolognese sauce because it cannot absorb and transport the sauce effectively. The noodles are too thin both to suck up the luxurious meat sauce and to carry the meat (and other ingredients) to your mouth.Â
Pappardelle and tagliatelle, on the other hand, are wide and ready to serve as your vessels of choice. Other decent options are rigatoni and even penne. You need a noodle with thickness.Â
Don’t make the American spaghetti mistake.Â
Pair this Bolognese Sauce Recipe with a Big Bold Red Wine
As you’ll see from our video, we paired this bolognese sauce with a big, bold, and super-Tuscan style red wine. It was from one of our favorite wineries in Sonoma, California. Check out our video on the top wineries to visit in Napa and Sonoma here.Â
This bolognese sauce recipe is enhanced even more by a big dry red wine. Something that will make your lips pucker and accentuate the deep flavors of the sauce.Â
The wine we chose was from Imagery and is called Tusca Brava.
Make sure to Enjoy
For me, bolognese sauce is a family sauce. I tried to respect the many Nonnas that came before me who made this. There’s something truly special to simmering a sauce like this for hours on a Sunday with everyone running around the house. The smell of the sauce will attract everyone to your spot in the kitchen.Â
Whatever you do, just don’t ruin the sauce with herbs and fake parmesan cheese from that ugly green bottle.Â
Respect and love your bolognese sauce and it will treat you well.Â
Happy cooking. Salute!
Bolognese Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil extra virgin olive oil
- 4 tbsp butter 3 tbsp for sauce; 1 tbsp for pasta
- 1/2 cup chopped scallion onion substitute is fine
- 2/3 cup chopped celery
- 2/3 cup chopped carrot
- 1 pound ground beef Should be at least 85% lean, 15% fat
- salt
- black pepper
- 1 cup almond milk whole milk is more traditional, but this is healthier and doesn't sacrifice taste!
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg
- 1 cup dry white wine I like dry riesling from Austria
- 2 1/4 cups canned Italian plum tomatoes
- 1 1/2 pounds pappardelle pasta tagliatelle, penne, and rigatoni work too
- parmigiano-reggiano freshly grated
Instructions
- Add the oil, butter, and chopped scallion to a large pot. Turn heat to medium. Cook and stir the scallion until it's translucent, then add the chopped celery and carrot. Cook for ~2 minutes, stirring consistently.
- Add ground beef, a large pinch of salt, and a few grinds of pepper. Separate the meat with a fork (avoid meatballs!), stir well, cooking until the beef has has turned grayish.
- Add almond milk and simmer gently, stirring frequently, until it has bubbled away completely. Add about â…› teaspoon of nutmeg and stir.
- Add the wine, simmering until it has evaporated. Next, add the tomatoes and stir thoroughly to coat all ingredients well. When the tomatoes bubble, turn the heat down so the sauce cooks at the "laziest of simmers", with just an intermittent bubble breaking through to the surface. Cook, uncovered, for 3 hours or more, stirring occasionally. While the sauce is cooking, it may dry out, with the fat separating from the meat. To avoid, add ½ cup of water whenever necessary. At the end, however, no water must be left and the fat must separate from the sauce. Keep that beautiful fat in the sauce, mixing it in at the end. Taste and correct for salt.
- Toss the cooked drained pasta with a tablespoon of butter, and serve with freshly grated Parmesan on the side. No herbs needed!
