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THE VERY best (freezer-friendly) bolognese sauce! So rich, so hearty, so perfect. Serve over pasta or gnocchi!
It’s cold. It’s snowing. And it’s parka season. Which can only mean one thing. It’s time to stay in with the heartiest, meatiest bolognese sauce tossed in al dente pappardelle pasta, some crusty bread, and a glass of (the leftover) wine.
This sauce is thick and very meaty but if you prefer a thinner consistency, a little bit of beef stock will work beautifully here. I, however, prefer my sauce super thick to coat up all that pasta (and crusty bread, of course).
You can also freeze the leftover sauce as it reheats very very well, making this perfect for your go-to weeknight meals. All you have to do is boil some pasta noodles prior to serving!
- 1 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 medium sweet onion, diced
- 1 carrot, peeled and diced
- 1 celery rib, diced
- ¾ pound ground beef
- ¾ pound ground pork
- 4 ounces pancetta, diced
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¾ cups dry red wine
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 (15-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
- 1 pound pappardelle pasta
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Melt butter in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, carrot and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3-4 minutes.
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Add ground beef, ground pork, pancetta, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Cook until browned, about 5-8 minutes, making sure to crumble the beef and pork as it cooks; drain excess fat.
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Stir in tomato paste, garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, nutmeg and cinnamon until fragrant, about 1 minute.
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Stir in wine, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
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Stir in milk. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until reduced, about 5 minutes.
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Stir in crushed tomatoes. Bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer, covered and stirring occasionally, until thickened and flavors have blended, about 20 minutes.
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Stir in parsley; season with salt and pepper, to taste.*
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In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions; drain well.
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Serve immediately with bolognese sauce.
*TO FREEZE: Let cool completely; portion into plastic freezer bags in individual servings, squeezing out any excess air before sealing. Lay the bags flat in a single layer in the freezer (this will help them freeze quickly). To reheat, thaw overnight in the fridge, reheating over low heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through.