A lazy Saturday afternoon. The skies are overcast and neither of us have the desire to go anywhere. I feel like making some comforting, slow simmering Bolognese sauce.




A quick search in the fridge to make sure I have everything I need. There's some pancetta and ground beef in the freezer that I need to use up. Celery, carrots and onions - yes, and I recently stocked up on canned tomatoes at the store. Do I have white wine? Of course!

Over the past couple of years I've tried and tested a few different recipes for Bolognese sauce. For a long time my favorite was Marcella Hazan's. It's texture was wonderful and it's flavor was soft and mellow, yet rich.
Now I usually make a recipe by Mark Bittman. The main difference between the two is that Marcella adds the milk before the tomatoes and wine, and she uses a bit of nutmeg. Mark's recipe adds the milk at the end and he sautées minced pancetta with the onions, carrots and celery, which I think adds a nice earthiness.

However, both versions are delicious!

Ragu Meat Sauce, Bolognese-Style
from How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman

Makes: a little more than 1 quart, enough for about 3 pounds of pasta
Time: Several hours, largely unattended

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, minced
1 carrot, peeled and minced
1 celery stalk, minced
1/4 cup minced bacon or pancetta
1/2 pound lean ground pork (or use all beef)
1/2 pound lean ground beef
3/4 cup dry white wine (or reserved juice from the canned tomatoes)
1 (28- or 35-ounce) can whole plum tomatoes, drained (reserve juice, if needed instead of wine)
1 cup beef or chicken stock, preferably homemade
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 cup cream, half-and-half, or milk
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

1. Put the olive oil in a large, deep skillet or saucepan. Turn the heat to medium-low and, a minute later, add the onion, carrot, celery, and bacon or pancetta. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.
2. Add the ground meat and cook, stirring and breaking up any clumps, until all traces of red are gone, about 5 minutes. Add the wine or tomato juice, raise the heat a bit, and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid is evaporated, about 5 minutes.
3. Crush the tomatoes with a fork or your hands and add them to the pot; stir, then add the stock. Turn the heat to low and cook at a slow simmer, stirring occasionally and breaking up the tomatoes and any clumps of meat that remain. After an hour or so, add salt and pepper. Cook for at least another hour, until much of the liquid has evaporated and the sauce is very thick. (This sauce may be covered and refrigerated for a day or two, or put in a closed container and frozen for several weeks. Reheat before completing.)
4. Add the cream, half-and-half, or milk and cook for another 15 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally; taste and add more salt and/or pepper as needed. Serve immediately with any dried or fresh pasta, passing grated Parmesan, if you like, at the table.

Tonight we enjoyed a wonderful Spaghetti Bolognese and I have lots of sauce to throw in the freezer. Perfect!