Bolognese Sauce

Do not rush this. Your patience will be rewarded with a great meal and an awesome smelling house.

Whenever I walk into an Italian kitchen or restaurant, I am often overwhelmed by the aroma of sauces that have likely been cooking since the early morning. When we moved into our new apartment, I knew I had to bring that smell of home and hearth to our new location. You don’t have to move to make this sauce though.

SOFTWARE

·       4 T. butter, unsalted

·       1/2 sweet onion, finely diced

·       1 carrot, finely diced

·       2 celery stalks, leaves removed, finely diced

·       1 lb. ground meat (any mix of beef, pork, or veal)

·       1 c. dry white wine

·       1 c. whole milk

·       56 oz. Italian style tomatoes, diced

·       1/2 c. heavy cream, room temperature

·       Pasta of your choice (prepared)

METHOD

1.       In a very large, wide saucepan or skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Once it is completely melted, add the diced vegetables.

2.       Cook for 10 minutes, stirring until they are soft.

3.       Reduce the heat to low. Break up the meat as you add it to the skillet. Stir and cook until the meat just starts the change color. Don’t worry. It will get cooked through in the process.

4.       Add the wine and increase the heat back to medium. Stir and cook until the wine if reduced by half.

5.       Reduce the heat to low again, and add the milk. Cook for another 10 minutes.

6.       Empty the tomatoes into a large bowl and use an immersion blender to create a liquid that is not completely devoid of tomato bits. You can also do this in a food processor.

7.       Carefully, add the tomatoes to the sauce. Bring to a simmer and cook for 2 hours, occasionally stirring. Adjust the heat as necessary to keep the sauce at a steady simmer and NOT a boil.

8.       During the cooking process, add salt and pepper. Taste frequently and add additional seasonings as you see fit.

9.       At the end of the cooking time, turn off the heat and add the cream, stirring gently.

10.   Serve with pasta.

VARIANTS

This sauce also makes an awesome lasagna. Change up the spices if you want some extra flavors.