Bolognese Tagliatelle

Prep Time:30 minutes Cook Time: 45 minutes Servings: 4 minutes

This tagliatelle Bolognese is a labor of love that is not your traditional red meat sauce. Bolognese is a delicious meat sauce that is refined and simmered for hours to bring out the great flavors of all the ingredients. Combine it with tagliatelle or with your favorite pasta to create a satiny, creaminess from the pasta starches that make this a memorable meal. Serve with a loaf of crusty Italian bread.

Ingredients:
  • 4 ounces pancetta bacon, finely diced
  • 3 carrots, finely diced
  • 3 stalks celery, finely diced
  • 2 onions, finely diced
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 pound 85% lean ground beef
  • 1 pound ground pork
  • ½ cup dry white wine
  • 1 (28 ounce) can san marzano whole peeled tomatoes, drained
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 1 cup beef stock
  • ¼ cup heavy cream
  • 1 (16 ounce) box tagliatelle pasta
  • ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese, or to taste
Directions:
  1. Cook pancetta in a pan over medium heat until it has released its fat and is crisp, 7 to 8 minutes. Add carrots, celery, and onions; cook until vegetables soften and onions are translucent, 7 to 8 minutes. Set aside.
  2. Heat olive oil in a 4-quart pot over medium heat. Break ground beef and pork into small chunks and add them to the pot; cook, stirring lightly, until browned, 7 to 8 minutes.
  3. Stir pancetta-vegetable mixture into ground meat. Add wine. Reduce heat to medium-low and stir, breaking up meat until finely ground, until wine has evaporated and the pot is almost dry, 13 to 15 minutes. Add tomatoes, nutmeg, salt, and red pepper. Use the back of a spoon to break up tomatoes and continue to break down meat mixture into tiny bits, about 5 minutes.
  4. Pour beef stock and heavy cream into the pot and reduce heat to lowest setting. Simmer, partially covered and stirring occasionally, for at least 2 hours.
  5. Meanwhile, fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil. Cook tagliatelle at a boil until tender yet firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Reserve 1 cup pasta water and drain well.
  6. Stir pasta into Bolognese sauce and mix well, adding a little reserved pasta water if needed to develop a satiny coating. Top with grated Parmesan cheese.