Tagliatelle with Bolognese Sauce

This is Bologna's greatest claim to fame. A smaller portion makes a great Primo course, or a slightly larger portion with a few veggies added, a main meal. We first ate it with an appetizer of prosciutto and melon (cantaloupe), which paired very nicely.

Yield:
4 to 6 servings
Category:
Pasta
Cuisine:
Italian

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 ounces dried porcini mushrooms, wiped of grit
  • 1/4 pound pancetta or slab bacon, finely chopped
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
  • 2 carrots, finely chopped
  • 5 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 sprigs rosemary
  • 1 1/2 pound ground pork
  • 1 1/2 pound ground beef
  • 2 cups milk
  • 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
  • 2 cups dry red wine
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 pound dry tagliatelle pasta
  • Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, for serving
  • 1 handful fresh basil leaves
  • Fresh ricotta cheese

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Reconstitute the mushrooms in very hot water for 20 minutes or so. Drain and coarsely chop.
  2. Puree the mushrooms, pancetta, onion, celery stalks, carrots, garlic, together in a blender.
  3. In a heavy-bottomed pot add olive oil, bay leaves, herbs and cook gently until fragrant, then add vegetable puree and continue to cook for a further 5 to 10 minutes.
  4. Raise the heat a bit and add the ground pork and beef; brown until the meat is no longer pink, breaking up the clumps with a wooden spoon. Add the milk and simmer until the liquid is evaporated; about 10 minutes. Carefully pour in the tomatoes, and wine and season with salt and pepper. Bring the sauce to a boil, then lower the heat and cover. Slowly simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, stirring now and then, until the sauce is very thick. Taste again for salt and pepper.
  5. When you are ready to serve, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until

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