Recipe
Bolognese Sauce
Bolognese Sauce is an Italian classic recipe and one of those recipes that someone always has a secret ingredient for. One ingredient that many of my Italian friends and acquaintances have told me that they swear will always turn out a finger-licking bolognese is using soup bones.
It makes perfect sense to me to use soup bones in bolognese. By letting the sauce simmer on low for hours with the bones, the richness in flavor and even left over fat and meat will just enhance the flavors of the tomato sauce, wine, ground beef and other ingredients. So, for dinner this evening I gave it a whirl.
Another "secret" ingredient a few have told me is to add a splash of heavy cream at the end of cooking. This made sense too! Adding the cream to the sauce will give it a creamier texture that a flavor that people can't exactly put their finger. One of my personal "secret ingredients" are grated or shredded carrots. This will help to sweeten the sauce as well as add some Vitamin C for the kids!
One of the major factors in making this bolognese sauce recipe amazing was letting it gently simmer for two hours. Doing this only melded all the flavors and ingredients together and make for an amazingly rich bolognese...exactly what it should be. After all was said and done and I tried the finish product, all I had to say was, WOW!
What are your secret ingredients to making the perfect bolognese sauce?
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion – diced
- 4-5 cloves garlic- minced
- 1 cup of carrots – grated
- 1.5 lbs of ground beef
- 1 tablespoon of dried Italian seasoning
- 2 teaspoons of Kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
- 1 small can of tomato paste
- 1/3 cup of sweet red wine
- 1 large can of crushed tomatoes
- 1 large can of diced tomatoes
- 1.5 cups of low sodium beef or chicken stock
- 1 lb of beef soup bones
- 1 tablespoons of heavy cream
Heat a pot to medium heat with olive oil. Turn the heat to low and saute the onions, garlic and carrots on for about 10 minutes, gently stirring them with a wooden spoon to prevent them from burning. Let them caramalize.
Add the ground beef breaking it up with your wooden spoon. Turn up the heat to medium high heat and let the liquid evaporate and constantly stirring the meat. Once all the liquid has evaporated add the tomato paste and gently incorporate it in with the beef. Add the Italian seasoning, salt and red pepper flakes and saute for about 5 minutes.
Pour the wine and scrape off the bits and pieces in the bottom of pot. Slowly add the crushed and diced tomatoes and stock with the soup bones. Stir and bring to a boil.
After the sauce has reached it’s boiling point, turn the heat to low and partially cover. Let simmer, stirring occasionally for 1.5 – 2 hours.
After about 2 hours, taste for flavoring and adjust accordingly. Add the heavy cream, stir and turn off the heat. Serve with pasta of choice, Parmesan cheese and fresh basil.
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