Now, though I do like to keep this blog consistent with my own personal recipe creations - I will not take credit for a dish that is not mine. Therefore for this recipe blog, I have to give full credit to one of the best Italian Chef's in the world - Mr. Mario Batali. I have tried some really good bolognese sauces but this one is by FAR the best one. I'm not kidding, it is a life changing bolognese. Makes all the rest seem like a second rate knock off of chef boyardee. it is THAT GOOODDDD! I was inspired to try this recipe after skimming through the Babbo website (a fabulous NYC restaurant a la Batali) and now, I don't think I will ever be able to go back to another bolognese recipe - try it and you will see. you will allll seeeee. Layers and layers of flavour
You will need:
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 stick of unsalted butter
1 onion (chopped fine)
3 carrots (chopped fine)
4 celery stalks - the mirepoix (chopped fine)
4 cloves of garlic (chopped)
3/4 lb ground pork
3/4 lb ground beef
3/4 lb ground veal
Salt and Pepper
2 cups tomato paste
2 cups milk
1 1/3 cup dry white wine
Freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
**Note - keep the lid off the pot for all beginning steps until instructed otherwise)
Start with a heavy deep bottom pot (I use my Le Cruset crock pot (a kitchen must-have that I simply could not live without). Add your olive oil and butter and let it heat up on medium high heat. Once your butter has completely melted - add your onion, celery, carrots and garlic. Let cook for 25-30 minutes (do not let them brown). Next, add your meat and season it with a generous amount of salt and pepper. Cook on a slightly lower hear (medium) stirring a few times for 45 minutes, this will render the fat out of the meat and allow the meat to brown in a very special way creating an amazing layer of flavor. You should start to hear a crackling noise towards the end. Using a flat bottom wooden spoon, scrape up the bits that have stuck to the bottom - again - creating another layer of flavor. Now, add your tomato paste and stir. This will caramelize the sweetness of the tomato flavor. Let this simmer for 30 minutes. Add your milk (this will act as a deglaze and pick up more flavor from the pot), let this reduce for 4-5 minutes only. Add your wine which provides a nice amount of sugar and acidity to the dish - really lower the heat at this point and put the lid on the pot. Let cook for 1 hour. Taste for seasoning.
The best way to pair this sauce is with a nice spinach papardelle pasta. I made some homemade for this dish and it was the perfect pairing. For a homemade pasta spinach papardelle you will need:
1 tbsp sea salt
1 cup packed fresh spinach leaves
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for kneading
5 large eggs
To prepare the spinach, bring some salted water to a boil and set up an ice bath next to the stove.
Blanch the spinach leaves in the boiling water for 45 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon and immediately place into the ice bath to cool. Once cool, use a strainer to squeeze out the excess water. Then place onto a kitchen towel and twist to remove as much moisture as possible.
To make the dough, chop the spinach verrrry finely and then combine it with the eggs in a bowl. Mix well until smooth. Mound the flour on the countertop and make a well in the center. Add the spinach mixture. Begin to incorporate the flour, starting with the inner rim of the well. As you expand the well, keep pushing the outside edge of the flour to retain the well shape (don’t worry if it looks messy).
When half of the flour has been incorporated, the dough should begin to come together. Start to gently knead the dough with your hands to incorporate the flour. As soon as the dough comes together in a cohesive mass, set it aside. Don't worry, as you may have more than 1 cup of flour that has not been incorporated. Scrape up any dried bits of dough and leftover flour and discard.
Then lightly flour the countertop and continue kneading the dough for about 10 minutes. Dust with a bit of flour, each time the dough sticks to your hands or the counter. Scrape the counter from time to time, just to make sure any dried bits aren’t being incorporated into the dough.
After kneading for about 10 minutes, the dough should be smooth and soft and just a touch tacky, but it should no longer be sticking to your hands or the countertop. Once ready, wrap it in plastic wrap and allow it to rest for 30 minutes at room temperature. This dough can now passed through a pasta maker to create nice green sheets. Once you have the sheets, lightly flour and roll the sheet up into a long tube. Using a knife, cut the pasta horizontally into papardelle noodles about 1 inch thick.
Cook for only 3-4 minutes in salted boiling water.
Combine the fresh pasta with the bolognese sauce and a touch of the starchy pasta water. Add some Parmesan cheese - serve & enjoy!
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