Description
This traditional Beef Bolognese recipe delivers a rich, slow-simmered meat sauce infused with fresh herbs, wine, and milk, resulting in a deeply flavorful and comforting Italian classic. Perfectly paired with pasta and topped with crispy fried basil leaves and freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, it’s a hearty meal ideal for family dinners.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Sauce:
- 12 fresh basil leaves (medium-large)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter (divided)
- ½ small yellow onion, peeled and minced
- ¼ cup minced carrot
- ¼ cup minced celery (optional)
- 1 pound ground chuck
- Kosher salt, to taste
- 1 cup dry white wine (good drinking quality)
- ½ cup whole milk
- 2 gratings of whole nutmeg
- 1 28-ounce can imported Italian Roma tomatoes (preferably San Marzano), coarsely chopped
For Serving:
- 1 pound pasta (cooked according to package instructions)
- Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Instructions
- Fry Basil Leaves: Heat a heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the olive oil and, once shimmering, fry the basil leaves until crispy but not browned. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Set aside.
- Sauté Vegetables: Add 2 tablespoons butter to the oil and sauté the minced onion, carrot, and celery until the vegetables are lightly browned and fragrant.
- Cook Ground Meat: Add the ground chuck to the pot, breaking it up as it cooks. Cook until the meat is slightly pink.
- Season and Brown Meat: Season with kosher salt and continue to cook and stir until the ground chuck is fully cooked and browned evenly.
- Add Wine: Pour in the dry white wine and cook, stirring occasionally, until almost all the liquid has evaporated.
- Add Milk and Nutmeg: Stir in the whole milk and grate fresh nutmeg over the sauce twice. Cook frequently stirring until the milk has nearly evaporated.
- Add Tomatoes: Coarsely chop the canned tomatoes and add them to the pot. Season again lightly with salt.
- Simmer the Sauce: Bring the sauce to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to the lowest setting so the sauce is barely simmering.
- Slow Cook Uncovered: Cook uncovered for 3 hours, stirring every 10-15 minutes to prevent sticking and ensure even cooking.
- Adjust Liquid As Needed: If the sauce dries out before 3 hours, add ½ cup water incrementally to maintain moisture.
- Finish Cooking: At the end of 3 hours, verify that all excess liquid has evaporated and the sauce is thick.
- Prepare for Serving: Cook pasta according to package instructions and drain.
- Serve: Plate the pasta topped generously with the Bolognese sauce. Garnish each serving with 2-3 crispy fried basil leaves reserved earlier and freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
- Enjoy: Serve immediately and savor this deeply comforting classic Italian meat sauce.
Notes
- Using fresh basil leaves fried in olive oil adds a unique crispy herb garnish.
- Simmering the sauce for 3 hours develops a rich, concentrated flavor.
- Add water carefully to prevent the sauce from drying out during long cooking.
- Whole milk softens the acidity of tomatoes and enriches the sauce.
- White wine helps to deglaze the pan and adds depth of flavor.
- Ground chuck is preferred for its balance of fat and flavor.
- This sauce freezes well and can be reheated gently before serving.
- For a thicker sauce, cook uncovered as instructed; for thinner, reduce cooking time slightly.
