Pappardelle with Bolognese Sauce

A combination of ground beef, ground pork and pancetta lends great flavor to this classic Italian sauce, which is tossed with wide pasta noodles known as pappardelle. Be sure to cook the pasta until it’s just al dente—tender but still a bit chewy. You won’t need all of the sauce for this dish; freeze the rest to serve again with pasta or to use in lasagna.

source	Williams Sonoma
categories	main dish, pasta, sauce, italian
yield	4-6 servings
prep time
total time

INGREDIENTS

2 Tbs. olive oil

1 ¼ lb (625 g) ground beef

1 ¼ lb (625 g) ground pork

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

4 oz (125 g) pancetta, cut into 1/2-inch (12-mm) dice

1 yellow onion, finely diced

2 carrots, peeled and finely diced

1 celery stalk, finely diced

5 garlic cloves, minced

1/3 cup (3 oz/90 g) tomato paste

1 cup (8 fl. oz/250 ml) dry red wine

1 cup (8 fl. oz/250 ml) milk

2 cans (each 28 oz/875 g) whole tomatoes, passed through a

food mill

2 bay leaves

1 Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese rind

1 lb (500 g) pappardelle, cooked until al dente and drained

Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese for serving

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a large sautee pan over medium-high heat, warm 1 Tbs. of the olive oil. Add the ground beef and pork, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 12 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Add the pancetta to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 7 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.

2. Reduce the heat to medium and warm the remaining 1 Tbs. olive oil. Add the onion, carrots and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes. Add the wine and simmer until almost evaporated, about 5 minutes. Add the ground meats, pancetta, milk, tomatoes, bay leaves and cheese rind. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer.

3. Cover partially, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens, 1 ½ to 2 hours. Remove and discard the bay leaves and cheese rind.

4. Toss the pasta with about 3 cups (24 fl. oz./750 ml) of the sauce (reserve the remaining sauce for another use). Sprinkle cheese on top. Serve immediately and pass additional cheese alongside.