Description
A classic Slow Cooked Pappardelle Bolognese featuring a rich, slowly simmered meat sauce made with ground sirloin, pancetta, soffritto vegetables, tomato paste, beef stock, and creamy milk. This hearty Italian dish is served over fresh pappardelle pasta and garnished with Italian parsley and Parmesan Reggiano.
Ingredients
Scale
Vegetables and Aromatics
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- 2 carrots, peeled and finely diced
- 2 stalks celery, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
Meat and Protein
- 2/3 cup pancetta or bacon, finely diced
- 1 lb ground top sirloin beef
Liquids and Seasonings
- Olive oil, for cooking
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 250 ml passata (optional)
- 2 cups beef stock
- 1 cup whole milk
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Pasta and Garnish
- 1 lb fresh pappardelle pasta
- Italian parsley, finely chopped for garnish
- Finely grated Parmesan Reggiano, for serving
Instructions
- Prepare the soffritto: Place finely diced onion, carrot, and celery in a large Dutch oven. Drizzle with olive oil and cook over medium-low heat until softened, about 8 minutes.
- Add garlic and season: Add minced garlic and cook for a few more minutes. Season with salt.
- Cook pancetta and beef: Add diced pancetta (or bacon) and ground sirloin beef. Use a wooden spoon to break up the beef into very small pieces as it cooks until browned.
- Deglaze with wine: Pour in the white wine to deglaze the pan and let it simmer for about a minute to reduce slightly.
- Add tomato paste, passata, and stock: Stir in tomato paste, passata (if using), and beef stock until combined.
- Simmer the sauce: Allow the sauce to simmer uncovered on low heat for 2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally until rich and thickened.
- Incorporate milk: Heat the milk for 2 minutes in the microwave or gently simmer on the stove. Slowly stir the warm milk into the simmering sauce in small amounts.
- Continue simmering: Cover the pot slightly and let the sauce simmer for another hour, stirring occasionally.
- Cook pasta: Boil fresh pappardelle in salted water according to package instructions. Reserve some pasta water in case the sauce needs thinning.
- Combine and serve: Drain pasta and toss with the Bolognese sauce. If too dry, add reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce. Serve garnished with finely chopped Italian parsley and grated Parmesan Reggiano.
Notes
- This slow simmering technique develops a deeply flavorful, rich meat sauce.
- Using pancetta adds a wonderful smoky depth to the classic Bolognese.
- Heating milk before adding prevents curdling and enriches the sauce’s creaminess.
- Fresh pappardelle pasta is traditional, but any wide ribbon pasta can be used.
- Reserve some pasta cooking water to adjust sauce consistency if needed.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 487
- Sugar: 5 grams
- Sodium: 398 milligrams
- Fat: 26 grams
- Saturated Fat: 9 grams
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 grams
- Trans Fat: 0 grams
- Carbohydrates: 27 grams
- Fiber: 1 gram
- Protein: 31 grams
- Cholesterol: 116 milligrams
