Rigatoni Bolognese

This rigatoni bolognese will make your loved ones think you were raised by an Italian Mama. Full of flavor, this meaty sauce is a labor of love.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Keyword bolognese recipes, bolognese sauce

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 2 50

Total Time 3 5

Servings - 8 servings

Calories 725kcal

Author Kathleen

In a heavy-bottom 8-quart pot, heat oil (2 tablespoons) and butter (2 tablespoons). Add onions (1 1/2 cups), celery (4 ribs), carrots (4), garlic (1 heaping), 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper then sauté, on medium-high, stirring often, until vegetables are tender and translucent, about 8-10 minutes.
Add the ground beef (1 pound), ground pork (1 pound), pancetta (4 ounces), 1 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Turn the heat up to high, then brown and crumble the meats.
When meat is browned, stir in tomato paste (1 can), lower the heat to medium, and continue to cook for 10-15 minutes.
Pour in the milk (1 cup) then continue to cook for 2-3 minutes.
Stir in wine (1 cup), canned whole tomatoes (1 can) and their liquid (breaking them up with your hands as you add them, discarding hard stem core), and Parmesan rind, then bring mixture to a boil.
Reduce the heat to low, stir in fresh rosemary (1 sprig), oregano (3-4 sprigs), and sage (1/4 cup), then simmer, uncovered, for 2 to 3 hours. Stir occasionally, watching so as not to burn the sauce. If the sauce begins to look dry, pour in 1/4 cup of water, as frequently as needed.
After the sauce is done simmering, stir in 1/4 cup heavy cream. Continue to simmer gently, for 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning adding more salt and pepper. Remove and discard any herb stems and Parmesan rind.

When the sauce has about half an hour left to cook, cook pasta. In a large pot, bring 5 quarts of water to a rolling boil. Stir in 2 tablespoons table salt.
Add pasta to boiling water. Stir occasionally so the pasta doesn't stick together.
When pasta is almost cooked, remove and save 2 cups of the pasta water.
Cook pasta for 7 minutes. It will be slightly underdone but will cook through in the next step.

Add the drained cooked pasta to the sauce. Stir in 1/2 cup pasta water and continue to simmer.
Stir to coat pasta and cook until the pasta is al dente, adding more pasta water as needed (you likely won't use it all. Save extra to use for leftovers).
Ladle dressed pasta into individual pasta bowls and top with freshly grated Parmesan and garnish, as desired with sliced or torn basil or parsley.

Steps: The order and process of this recipe is very important. Each step is intended to build flavor.
Dutch Oven: This is the perfect cooking utensil because the sauce cooks for a long time. The heavy bottom of a Dutch Oven helps to prevent scorching.
Crumbling: When browning our meat, I crumble the meats finely as possible, smaller than most recipes, so the meat in the sauce clings to the pasta.
Seasoning: I like to season during the process, layering along the way, so each layer has its best flavor.
Crumble It! Break it down as fine as possible. The small pieces will carry the sauce better and have a texture of an authentic sauce.
Bouquet Garni: Bouquet Garni is when you tie all the fresh herbs together with a string. Drop the bundle of fresh herbs into the sauce. When it’s time to fish out the stems, you have a single bundle to find and there won’t be any stray stems for your guests to find.
Don’t Sauce It All: You will likely have leftovers. When serving, estimate how much pasta you will need. Reserve the remaining pasta, if any, and refrigerate separately for leftovers. The pasta will stay al dente and won’t be overcooked upon reheating for leftovers.
Better The Second Day: Bolognese is often better the next day. Go ahead and make it the day before you intend to serve it. You will have less stress if you are serving guests. Just reheat on the stove and prepare the pasta.