Today i started making my bolognese sauce for dinner. It's now after 5pm. I started said sauce over 5 hours ago and it'll take another 2 before we can eat. It takes a massive chunk of time to make it, but maaaan it's amazing (Your house will smell AMA-ZING!!!)!!! And i got to thinking..."why not share it?" I mean really, why not?! I've made it for friends, and put it into my lasagna (which i have specifics on that one too...perhaps another day i'll share that one) and spent HOURS on it. Like i said...takes some serious time, but it's SOOOO worth every freakin second!!! And it's really not difficult. Just time consuming. It's good for a Sunday dinner with family, or on your day off. It's NOT, i repeat NOT a recipe you can make quickly or rush through!! TRUST ME!! I tried once. It was terrible. Oh, and if you don't have a mass amount of people coming over for this...like at least 10 people, cut this recipe in half. Or you can freeze what's leftover. I'll use the left over for lasagna at some point, maybe next week. It makes a shit ton of sauce!!!!
So. Having said that...here it is....
Bolognese Sauce, adapted from Anne Burrell
Ingredients
1 large onion or 2 small, cut into quarters (chunks)
2 large carrots
3 ribs celery
4 cloves garlic
Extra-virgin olive oil, for the pan
Kosher salt (I use sea salt)
3 pounds ground chuck, brisket or round or combination
2 cups tomato paste (I don't measure this one out, as there's always some paste stuck to the can. I use what i can out of the big 12oz can and most of a second 12 oz can)
3 cups hearty red wine (i am not a Cabernet fan, but i find the cheapest cab. i can find and it works amazingly well)
Water
3 bay leaves
1 bunch thyme, tied in a bundle (I didn't have a bundle of thyme today, so i tossed in a couple handfuls of dried. Tastes the same)
1 pound spaghetti
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (or parm...whatever grated cheese you have or like)
High quality extra-virgin olive oil, for finishing
Directions
In a food processor, puree onion, carrots, celery, and garlic into a coarse paste. In a large pan (i use a big stock pot as this recipe makes a LOT of sauce!!!! This way it's one pan clean-up!) over medium heat, coat pan with oil. Add the pureed veggies and season generously with salt. Bring the pan to a medium-high heat and cook until all the water has evaporated and they become nice and brown, stirring frequently, about 15 to 20 minutes. Be patient, this is where the big flavors develop. (This is the worst part, i think, of this recipe. Turn your back once the heat is up, and you'll burn the veggies. Patience is key with this recipe. And i've made this with a grater to grate the veggies...i recommend a food processor if you have one or if you can borrow one. It'll make the process of all this SOOO much easier!! But if you don't, finely dice the onion, grate the celery and carrot, and finely mince the garlic.)
Add the ground beef and season again generously with salt. BROWN THE BEEF! Brown food tastes good. Don't rush this step. Cook another 15 to 20 minutes. (She doesn't say to drain the beef...but i suppose you can. I normally don't. I felt that the meat-grease added to the flavor in my opinion, but let me tell you...if you don't, your tummy may not like you and you'll need a bucket of Tums to help. Just sayin)
Add the tomato paste and cook until brown about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the red wine. Cook until the wine has reduced by half, another 4 to 5 minutes. (This step means to reduce the wine IN the pan! Apparently. Not to reduce the wine IN your own body. No fun i tell ya!! Oh, btw...3 cups of wine is almost an entire bottle. Just an fyi if you don't actually measure like me ;). Today when i made this, it took a good 20 minutes for the wine to reduce. Just be patient)
Add water to the pan until the water is about 1 inch above the meat. Toss in the bay leaves and the bundle of thyme and stir to combine everything. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer, stirring occasionally. As the water evaporates you will gradually need to add more, about 2 to 3 cups at a time. Don't be shy about adding water during the cooking process, you can always cook it out. This is a game of reduce and add more water. This is where big rich flavors develop. If you try to add all the water in the beginning you will have boiled meat sauce rather than a rich, thick meaty sauce. Stir and TASTE frequently. Season with salt, if needed (you probably will). Simmer for 3 1/2 to 4 hours.
During the last 30 minutes of cooking, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat to cook the spaghetti. Pasta water should ALWAYS be well salted. Salty as the ocean! TASTE IT! If your pasta water is under seasoned it doesn't matter how good your sauce is, your complete dish will always taste under seasoned. When the water is at a rolling boil add the spaghetti and cook for 1 minute less than it calls for on the package. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water.
While the pasta is cooking remove 1/2 of the ragu from the pot and reserve.
1 large onion or 2 small, cut into quarters (chunks)
2 large carrots
3 ribs celery
4 cloves garlic
Extra-virgin olive oil, for the pan
Kosher salt (I use sea salt)
3 pounds ground chuck, brisket or round or combination
2 cups tomato paste (I don't measure this one out, as there's always some paste stuck to the can. I use what i can out of the big 12oz can and most of a second 12 oz can)
3 cups hearty red wine (i am not a Cabernet fan, but i find the cheapest cab. i can find and it works amazingly well)
Water
3 bay leaves
1 bunch thyme, tied in a bundle (I didn't have a bundle of thyme today, so i tossed in a couple handfuls of dried. Tastes the same)
1 pound spaghetti
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (or parm...whatever grated cheese you have or like)
High quality extra-virgin olive oil, for finishing
Directions
In a food processor, puree onion, carrots, celery, and garlic into a coarse paste. In a large pan (i use a big stock pot as this recipe makes a LOT of sauce!!!! This way it's one pan clean-up!) over medium heat, coat pan with oil. Add the pureed veggies and season generously with salt. Bring the pan to a medium-high heat and cook until all the water has evaporated and they become nice and brown, stirring frequently, about 15 to 20 minutes. Be patient, this is where the big flavors develop. (This is the worst part, i think, of this recipe. Turn your back once the heat is up, and you'll burn the veggies. Patience is key with this recipe. And i've made this with a grater to grate the veggies...i recommend a food processor if you have one or if you can borrow one. It'll make the process of all this SOOO much easier!! But if you don't, finely dice the onion, grate the celery and carrot, and finely mince the garlic.)
Add the ground beef and season again generously with salt. BROWN THE BEEF! Brown food tastes good. Don't rush this step. Cook another 15 to 20 minutes. (She doesn't say to drain the beef...but i suppose you can. I normally don't. I felt that the meat-grease added to the flavor in my opinion, but let me tell you...if you don't, your tummy may not like you and you'll need a bucket of Tums to help. Just sayin)
Add the tomato paste and cook until brown about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the red wine. Cook until the wine has reduced by half, another 4 to 5 minutes. (This step means to reduce the wine IN the pan! Apparently. Not to reduce the wine IN your own body. No fun i tell ya!! Oh, btw...3 cups of wine is almost an entire bottle. Just an fyi if you don't actually measure like me ;). Today when i made this, it took a good 20 minutes for the wine to reduce. Just be patient)
Add water to the pan until the water is about 1 inch above the meat. Toss in the bay leaves and the bundle of thyme and stir to combine everything. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer, stirring occasionally. As the water evaporates you will gradually need to add more, about 2 to 3 cups at a time. Don't be shy about adding water during the cooking process, you can always cook it out. This is a game of reduce and add more water. This is where big rich flavors develop. If you try to add all the water in the beginning you will have boiled meat sauce rather than a rich, thick meaty sauce. Stir and TASTE frequently. Season with salt, if needed (you probably will). Simmer for 3 1/2 to 4 hours.
During the last 30 minutes of cooking, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat to cook the spaghetti. Pasta water should ALWAYS be well salted. Salty as the ocean! TASTE IT! If your pasta water is under seasoned it doesn't matter how good your sauce is, your complete dish will always taste under seasoned. When the water is at a rolling boil add the spaghetti and cook for 1 minute less than it calls for on the package. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water.
While the pasta is cooking remove 1/2 of the ragu from the pot and reserve.
***I don't put the pasta and ALL the sauce together! I actually remove a good portion of the sauce and freeze it for another day. ***
Drain the pasta and add to the pot with the remaining ragu. Stir or toss the pasta to coat with the sauce. Add some of the reserved sauce, if needed, to make it about an even ratio between pasta and sauce. Add the reserved pasta cooking water and cook the pasta and sauce together over a medium heat until the water has reduced. Turn off the heat and give a big sprinkle of Parmigiano and a generous drizzle of the high quality finishing olive oil. (I don't do this part) Toss or stir vigorously. Divide the pasta and sauce into serving bowls or 1 big pasta bowl. Top with remaining grated Parmigiano. Serve immediately.
Drain the pasta and add to the pot with the remaining ragu. Stir or toss the pasta to coat with the sauce. Add some of the reserved sauce, if needed, to make it about an even ratio between pasta and sauce. Add the reserved pasta cooking water and cook the pasta and sauce together over a medium heat until the water has reduced. Turn off the heat and give a big sprinkle of Parmigiano and a generous drizzle of the high quality finishing olive oil. (I don't do this part) Toss or stir vigorously. Divide the pasta and sauce into serving bowls or 1 big pasta bowl. Top with remaining grated Parmigiano. Serve immediately.
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