Ingredients (~8 servings)
- 1 large yellow onion, roughly chopped
- 1 celery stalk, roughly chopped
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
- 4 oz uncured pancetta
- 4 cloves fresh garlic
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 1/2 lbs ground beef (80/20)
- 3/4 lb ground spicy Italian sausage
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
- 1 cup red wine (like Chianti)
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 5 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 1 can (28 oz) San Marzano tomatoes, crushed
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth (more as needed)
- 1 parmesan rind
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2/3 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese (plus more for serving)
- 1 1/2 lbs dried pappardelle pasta
Process the Vegetables and Pancetta
Pulse the onion, carrot, and celery in a food processor until you have fine pieces – this is your soffritto base.
Remove and set aside.
Add the garlic and pancetta to the food processor; Blend until everything is finely chopped.
The pancetta should look like coarse breadcrumbs when done.
Build the Base in a Large Pot
Heat a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat and add the olive oil.
Add the pancetta mixture and cook until it’s golden and aromatic – about ~3-4 minutes.
You’ll hear it sizzling and see the fat rendering out.
Mix in the soffritto and cook for ~5-6 minutes until the vegetables start to soften and smell fragrant.
Brown the Meat and Add Tomato Paste
Add the ground beef, Italian sausage, and red pepper flakes to the pot.
Let the meat cook undisturbed for ~3-4 minutes so it gets a good sear on the bottom.
Break it up with a wooden spoon and continue cooking until it’s evenly browned on all sides – this takes ~8-10 minutes total.
Push the meat to one side and add the tomato paste to the empty space; Cook for ~2 minutes, stirring the paste frequently so it doesn’t burn.
The paste should darken and smell sweet when it’s ready.
Deglaze and Add Liquids
Pour in the red wine, stirring to release all the fond (those brown bits) from the bottom of the pot.
Let the wine simmer and reduce by about half – ~5-6 minutes.
You’ll know it’s ready when the alcohol smell mellows out.
Add the rosemary, thyme, bay leaves, and parmesan rind directly into the sauce.
Pour in the crushed tomatoes and 1 1/2 cups of chicken broth to start.
Simmer the Sauce for 90 Minutes
Turn the heat down to low – you want just barely bubbling, not a rolling simmer.
Let the sauce cook for ~90 minutes, stirring every 15-20 minutes.
Add more chicken broth if it gets too thick; The sauce should coat a spoon but not be paste-like.
The meat should be really tender and the flavors should meld together completely.
Finish the Sauce and Cook Pasta
Remove and discard the herb sprigs, bay leaves, and parmesan rind.
Stir in the heavy cream and grated parmesan cheese; Let it simmer for ~2-3 minutes until incorporated.
Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil and cook the pappardelle until al dente according to package directions.
Reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining.
Combine and Serve
Add the drained pasta directly into the sauce pot and toss everything together until the pasta is evenly coated.
If the sauce seems too thick, add pasta water 2 Tbsp at a time until you get the right consistency.
The sauce should cling to the pasta without being gloppy.
Serve immediately with extra grated parmesan on top.
Spicy Bolognese with Pappardelle
Ingredients
Ingredients (~8 servings)
- 1 large yellow onion roughly chopped
- 1 celery stalk roughly chopped
- 2 medium carrots peeled and roughly chopped
- 4 oz uncured pancetta
- 4 cloves fresh garlic
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 1/2 lbs ground beef 80/20
- 3/4 lb ground spicy Italian sausage
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 can tomato paste 6 oz
- 1 cup red wine like Chianti
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 5 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 1 can San Marzano tomatoes 28 oz, crushed
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth more as needed
- 1 parmesan rind
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2/3 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese plus more for serving
- 1 1/2 lbs dried pappardelle pasta
Instructions
- Pulse onion, carrot, and celery in food processor until finely chopped and set aside.
- Process garlic and pancetta until finely chopped.
- Heat olive oil in large heavy pot over medium heat and cook pancetta mixture 3-4 minutes until golden.
- Add soffritto and cook 5-6 minutes until softened.
- Add ground beef, Italian sausage, and red pepper flakes and cook undisturbed 3-4 minutes.
- Break up meat and brown 8-10 minutes total.
- Push meat aside, add tomato paste to empty space, and cook 2 minutes stirring frequently.
- Pour in red wine and simmer 5-6 minutes until reduced by half, scraping up browned bits.
- Add rosemary, thyme, bay leaves, parmesan rind, crushed tomatoes, and 1 1/2 cups chicken broth.
- Reduce heat to low and simmer 90 minutes, stirring every 15-20 minutes and adding broth if needed.
- Remove herb sprigs, bay leaves, and parmesan rind.
- Stir in heavy cream and grated parmesan and simmer 2-3 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Cook pappardelle in salted boiling water until al dente and reserve 1 cup pasta water before draining.
- Toss pasta with sauce, adding reserved pasta water as needed to reach desired consistency.
- Serve with extra parmesan.
