It’s Valentine's day today!
And it’s a Friday with 15 inches of snow on the ground and the kids at home with schools closed.
A great day to stay in, stay warm and cuddle over a lovely dinner. So why not do what I'm doing and cook a wonderful dinner for your loved one and I have just the thing.
I have no doubt you already have wonderful and chocalatey already planned so allow me to fill in the gap with this ~ an absolutely wonderful and traditional Ragu alla Bolognese from Italy.
The people of Emilia Romagna know in the essence of their cooking that FAT CARRIES FLAVOR! Whether it’s pastry or meat, fat does carry flavor.
And instead of shying away from it, Bolognese cooking celebrates it. This traditional recipe of the Bolognese sauce is completely different to what we consider Bolognese sauce here in the US.
So here is where they differ:
- The American Bolognese sauce is served over spaghetti. Traditionally, it is only ever served with tagliatelle pasta, preferably fresh.
- Our version is tomato sauce laden while traditionally no more than ½ cup to as little as 2 tablespoons are used!
- The traditional Bolognese sauce is cooked with butter and olive oil.
- In our American version usually beef is a major component and this is completely missing from the traditional version! In fact, ground veal or boar and pork are used in equal quantities. So is Italian sausage in smaller quantities. All the meat is sautéed with chopped up bacon in bacon fat-olive oil-butter blend.
- Lastly, in our American version, the sauce is served over spaghetti with liberal quantities of parmesan cheese.
- The traditional Bolognese sauce is finished with cream and serve up with fried chicken livers and mushrooms for an even richer experience.
All in all, you’ll find this traditional Ragu from Bologna does not bury the pasta but rather simply coats it in a thick meaty Ragu. It’s wonderful and I recommend that you follow the traditional recipe to the letter for a truly wonderful culinary experience.
After all, let’s not try to make this all low fat and subject thos lovely sauce to the Wusification of Ragu!
Trust me, your belly and the love of you life will thank you!
Gather the ingredients,
1/2 lbs ground veal, 1/2 lb ground pork, 1 hot Italian sausage, casing removed, 3 slices thick bacon, 1 yellow onion (to yield 1 cup full, finely chopped), 1 carrot (to yield 1/2 cup full finely chopped), 1 celery stick, 1/2 cup tomato sauce, 1 cup dry white wine, 1 cup beef stock, 1/2 stick - 4 tbs butter, 2 tbs olive oil, 1/2 cup cream, 1-1/2 tsp salt, 3/4 tsp ground black pepper
Optional: 5-6 chicken livers, 2 cups crimini mushrooms, 1 tbs olive oil, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
Serve with: 1 lb Tagliatelle pasta
Bacon: Finely chop and set aside.
Onion: Peel, cut and discard skin and the ends. Finely chop and set aside.
Carrot: Peel and finely chop into no larger than 1/4" pieces.
Celery: Cut lengthwise and chop into no larger than 1/4" pieces.
Meat: Mix the veal, pork and Italian sausage together in a bowl and set aside.
Pasta water: Set a pot full of water to boil with 1/2 tbs salt. Once it reaches a rolling boil, reduce the heat but keep on stove, until ready to use.
In a saute pan, add the butter, olive oil and bacon. Saute the bacon on medium heat for 4-5 minutes until the bacon is crispy.
Add the chopped onion, carrot and celery. Add 1/2 tsp salt. Saute for about 10-12 minutes on medium heat until the onions are translucent and soft.
Add the meat and saute for a few minutes until the meat just begins to turn opaque. Add the wine and simmer for about 5 minutes to evaporate the alcohol. Add the beef stock and tomato sauce. Season with salt and pepper.
Cover with a tight fitting lid and cook on medium-low for about 30 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent from sticking.
Chicken livers: Cut into 1/2" pieces
Mushrooms: Slice as thin as possible and set aside.
Meanwhile, in a non-stick saute pan, heat the olive oil on medium-high until very hot. Saute the mushrooms on medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes until brown and just tender. Add the chicken livers and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Pan fry for 4-5 minutes until the livers are no longer soft and have lost their red color. Remove to a plate.
20 minutes into the Ragu: Turn the heat up on the pasta water. Once it is at a rolling boil, add the pasta and stir with a wooden spoon for the first 5 minutes to prevent the pasta from sticking together. Cook for about 7-8 minutes until just al dente. Drain and set aside.
Remove the lid off the ragu and if too much liquid is in the pan, evaporate for 2-3 minutes on high heat. Add the cream and simmer for a few minutes but do not boil. Remove from the heat and set aside allowing the ragu to slightly thicken.
As soon as the pasta is ready, add to the sauce in 3-4 batches, tossing the pasta and sauce together to thoroughly coat the pasta.
Remove to a platter. Top with chicken livers and mushrooms and serve immediately.
Recipe for
Ragu alla Bolognese
Preparation time – 20 minutes
Cooking time: 45 minutes
Shopping list
1/2 lbs ground veal
1/2 lb ground pork
1 hot Italian sausage, casing removed
3 slices thick bacon
1 yellow onion (to yield 1 cup full, finely chopped)
1 carrot (to yield 1/2 cup full finely chopped)
1 celery stick
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup beef stock
1/2 stick - 4 tbs butter
2 tbs olive oil
1/2 cup cream
1-1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp ground black pepper
Optional:
5-6 chicken livers
2 cups crimini mushrooms
1 tbs olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
Serve with:
1 lb Tagliatelle pasta
Preparation:
Bacon: Finely chop and set aside.
Onion: Peel, cut and discard skin and the ends. Finely chop and set aside.
Carrot: Peel and finely chop into no larger than 1/4" pieces.
Celery: Cut lengthwise and chop into no larger than 1/4" pieces.
Meat: Mix the veal, pork and Italian sausage together in a bowl and set aside.
Chicken livers: Cut into 1/2" pieces
Mushrooms: Slice as thin as possible and set aside.
Pasta water: Set a pot full of water to boil with 1/2 tbs salt. Once it reaches a rolling boil, reduce the heat but keep on stove, until ready to use.
Method:
In a saute pan, add the butter, olive oil and bacon. Saute the bacon on medium heat for 4-5 minutes until the bacon is crispy.
Add the chopped onion, carrot and celery. Add 1/2 tsp salt. Saute for about 10-12 minutes on medium heat until the onions are translucent and soft.
Add the meat and saute for a few minutes until the meat just begins to turn opaque. Add the wine and simmer for about 5 minutes to evaporate the alcohol. Add the beef stock and tomato sauce. Season with salt and pepper.
Cover with a tight fitting lid and cook on medium-low for about 30 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent from sticking.
Meanwhile, in a non-stick saute pan, heat the olive oil on medium-high until very hot. Saute the mushrooms on medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes until brown and just tender. Add the chicken livers and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Pan fry for 4-5 minutes until the livers are no longer soft and have lost their red color. Remove to a plate.
20 minutes into the Ragu: Turn the heat up on the pasta water. Once it is at a rolling boil, add the pasta and stir with a wooden spoon for the first 5 minutes to prevent the pasta from sticking together. Cook for about 7-8 minutes until just al dente. Drain and set aside.
Remove the lid off the ragu and if too much liquid is in the pan, evaporate for 2-3 minutes on high heat. Add the cream and simmer for a few minutes but do not boil. Remove from the heat and set aside allowing the ragu to slightly thicken.
As soon as the pasta is ready, add to the sauce in 3-4 batches, tossing the pasta and sauce together to thoroughly coat the pasta.
Remove to a platter. Top with chicken livers and mushrooms and serve immediately.
Enjoy!
