Best Bolognese Sauce

Step 1

Crisp up the pancetta. Melt the butter and olive oil in a dutch oven over medium low heat. Add the pancetta, and cook while occasionally stirring, until crispy. This process takes about 10-12 minutes, don't rush. Use a slotted spoon to remove the pancetta from the pot and transfer to a small bowl.

Step 2

Finely mince the veggies. While the pancetta cooks, Add all the veggies and garlic to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until everything is finely minced. This saves tons of time!

Step 3

Cook the beef and sausage. Add the ground beef and Italian sausage to the pot and keep the heat low. Cook while stirring often until the meat is cooked through and really finely broken up. Don't brown the meat, just cook low and slow until it's cooked through.

Step 4

Add the veggies. Increase the heat to medium and add the finely chopped veggies to the pot. Cook for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the veggies are soft. Add the tomato paste to the pot and really mix it in. Cook until it's darkened in color, about 5 minutes.

Step 5

Add the remaining ingredients. Add the wine to the pot and use it to help scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Add the milk, tomatoes, bay leaves, crispy pancetta, and parmesan rind to the pot. Season with salt and pepper and reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot.

Step 6

Simmer. Simmer on low for 2 1/2 - 3 hours, stirring every hour or so. The sauce should be thick and deep red in color. Season to taste with salt and pepper and remove the bay leaves.

Step 7

Cook your pasta in a large pot of salted water to al dente (according to package directions). I love serving bolognese sauce with pappardelle, but you can use any pasta (long or short) you love most. I am obsessed with this Paccheri pasta--so perfect for the bolognese sauce!

Step 8

Warm some of the sauce in a large skillet. I always make enough bolognese to freeze half of it and I always make it ahead of time because the sauce gets better as it sits. Rewarm 3 cups of the sauce in a large nonstick skillet.

Step 9

Reserve 1 cup of the starchy pasta water, then carefully drain the pasta. Resist the temptation of rinsing your pasta with water once it’s drained. Doing so rinses away the starches on its surface, preventing it from properly adhering to the bolognese sauce.

Step 10

Toss! Add the hot pasta straight into the skillet with the bolognese sauce, tossing to combine well. Use your judgment & adjust pasta bolognese as needed (a splash of the reserved pasta water will help loosen up the pasta bolognese; a handful of extra parmesan will tighten it up a bit, etc.). Add the cream and stir everything.

Step 11

Simmer: Let the pasta bolognese simmer for 1-2 minutes, allowing the pasta to absorb some of the bolognese sauce as it finishes cooking. Season to taste, as needed

Step 12

Serve! At last, the best part! Portion into individual bowls & serve immediately. Top with a mound of freshly grated parmesan.