Dinner / March 11, 2024

Beef Bolognese

Beef Bolognese

Talk about a great cold weather dish! Beef bolognese is where it's at! The prep is pretty easy and low effort. The magic happens with allowing the sauce to simmer for an hour. I start by sautéing some high quality pancetta for a few minutes. Then I use the rendered fat to saute all the veg! The tomato paste adds to the depth of flavor. The chili flakes don't make this spicy, just rounds out the flavor. The wine offers some acidity, while the milk / cream balances out the dish. I try to keep my homemade chicken stock in the freezer, but you can sub with organic store bought stock in a pinch. I always buy organic, grass fed beef and prefer 80/20, meat to fat ratio. Buy a block of parmigiano reggiano and grate it freshly. Top with fresh basil and this bolognese will be "just right."

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 1 15

Total Time 1 25

Course Dinner

Cuisine Italian

Servings 4

Equipment

large stock pot
dutch oven or large brasier https://amzn.to/42UktLz **
strainer https://amzn.to/3SZVK4i **
zester https://amzn.to/3SZVK4i **

Ingredients

1 lb rigatoni
1 lb organic grass fed beef 80/20
2 oz pancetta minimally processed
1 large yellow or white onion
2 organic carrots
2 organic celery stalks
3 garlic cloves
1 tbs organic tomato paste
5 thyme branches
1/2 tsp chili flakes
2 bay leaves
3/4 cup dry white or red wine
28 oz can organic crushed tomatoes
2 cups organic chicken stock https://zahavalox.com/homemade-sustainable-chicken-stock/
1/2 cup organic whole milk or heavy cream
1/8 tsp nutmeg
organic olive oil
kosher salt https://amzn.to/3Sa6PAV **
freshly cracked black pepper https://amzn.to/3RoH0wh **
organic fresh basil for serving
parmigiano reggiano freshly grated (for serving)

Instructions

Dice the pancetta, onion, carrots and celery. Mince the garlic.
In a large dutch oven or braiser, heat a tbs of olive oil over medium heat and saute the pancetta for ~5 minutes, until crisp. Remove and set aside.
In the same pot / pan, add the onions, carrots and celery, a large pinch of kosher salt and a few grinds of cracked black pepper. Stir and cook for about 7 minutes, until they have softened. Add the tomato paste and chili flakes and mix to combine. Cook for a minute until the tomato paste has caramelized.
Add the beef, a tsp of kosher salt and 1/2 tsp of cracked black pepper. Cook for ~5 minutes, until it's no longer pink.
Add the garlic and fresh thyme leaves. Stir for 30 seconds until the garlic is fragrant. Add the wine. Let it come to a boil, reduce the heat to medium low. Stir to combine. Let the wine reduce until almost all of the liquid has evaporated.
Add the crushed tomatoes, chicken stock, bay leaves, a large pinch of kosher salt and a few grinds of cracked black pepper. Let it come to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and partially cover. Cook for 45 minutes.
Meanwhile bring a large stock pot filled with water to a boil. Once it's boiling, add 1/4 cup of kosher salt. Let it return to a boil. Drop the pasta when the bolognese has ~10 minutes left. Stir and cook until it's al dente (2 minutes under the suggested cooking time).
After 45 minutes, add the heavy cream or milk, nutmeg, and a small handful of basil. Stir and cook for another 15 minutes.
Add the pasta to the bolognese and 1/4 cup of pasta water. Mix to combine for a few minutes.
To serve, add the pasta bowls, shower with freshly grated parm and basil.