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Pappardelle Bolognese
4.9 from 21 votes

Pappardelle Bolognese

Pappardelle Bolognese is a favorite at our house. Make the pasta, if you can, and cut into /2" strips to make the perfect pappardelle...or, boil lasagna noodles, and cut those...or, just use fettuccine...no matter what...with this Bolognese sauce, you can't go wrong.

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
2 hrs 30 mins
Total Time
2 hrs 45 mins
Servings: 8 people
Calories: 553 kcal
Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3 oz pancetta chopped
  • 1½ cups onion chopped
  • 3 celery chopped, stalks
  • 3 large carrot peeled, chopped (a food processor works well
  • 12 oz ground beef 85% lean is nice
  • 6 oz ground pork
  • 6 oz veal ground
  • ¾ cup red wine dry
  • 3 cups beef bone broth divided (2 ½ cups and then a ½ cup, organic, brand Pacific Foods
  • 1 oz can whole tomatoes preferably San Marzano, drained
  • 3 tablespoon tomato paste
  • kosher salt
  • black pepper freshly ground
  • 1 cup milk whole
  • 1 lb pappardelle
  • Parmesan Cheese for serving, finely grated

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Heat the oil in a large pot (preferably a Dutch oven) over medium-high heat. Sauté pancetta for 5 minutes.
  2. Add the onions, celery, and carrots. Cook until soft, about another 10 minutes.
  3. Add beef, pork, and veal and sauté, breaking it up, until browned, about 15 minutes.
  4. At this point, if you feel you have too much fat that has rendered, tilt the pot and use a large spoon to collect the fat that has pooled at the end of the pot. Remove all grease except for about 1 tbsp.
  5. Add wine; boil for 1 minute, deglazing the pan (scraping the brown bits from the bottom of the pan).
  6. Add 2½ cups of the broth and the tomato paste; stir. Use your hands to squeeze and gently break the whole tomatoes into the sauce. Reduce heat and gently simmer, stirring occasionally, 1½ hours. Season with salt (2 tsp) and black pepper (1 tsp).
  7. Warm the milk in a small saucepan and then gradually add to the sauce.
  8. Simmer the sauce for another 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened and milk has completely been absorbed. Add more broth if the sauce is too thick. Taste and add more salt, if necessary.
  9. Meanwhile, cook pasta in liberally salted, boiling water until al denté. Follow packaging instructions. Reserve ½ cup of the pasta liquid. Drain pasta.
  10. Transfer 2 large spoonsful of the sauce to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add pasta and toss until coated. Add in remaining sauce and a few tablespoons of the reserved pasta water until pasta is fully coated and the consistency is right.
  11. Serve at once with Parmesan cheese on the side.

Notes

  • Cubed pancetta can be found in many well-stocked supermarkets, often in the deli section.  You can also use sliced pancetta or prosciutto, roughly chopped. 
  • We like using beef, veal, and pork for this sauce.  However, you can use a combination of just beef and pork, or beef and veal.  Just make sure the amount you are using totals 24 oz (1 ½ lbs). 
  • The sauce can be made up to several days in advance.  Actually, it gets even better after it has time to meld even further in an air-tight container in the fridge.  The sauce freezes for 1 to 2 months.
  • If you can't find pappardelle, you can boil lasagna noodles and then use a pizza cutter to cut strips that are about ½-inch in width. Or, just go with a nice spaghetti, linguine, or other long pasta.

Nutrition Information

Calories 553kcal (28%) Carbohydrates 49g (16%) Protein 26g (52%) Fat 22g (34%) Saturated Fat 7g (35%) Cholesterol 121mg (40%) Sodium 222mg (9%) Potassium 634mg (13%) Fiber 3g (12%) Sugar 6g (12%) Vitamin A 4693IU (94%) Vitamin C 5mg (6%) Calcium 86mg (9%) Iron 3mg (17%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 8 people

Amount Per Serving

Calories 553

% Daily Value*

Calories 553kcal 28%
Carbohydrates 49g 16%
Protein 26g 52%
Fat 22g 34%
Saturated Fat 7g 35%
Cholesterol 121mg 40%
Sodium 222mg 9%
Potassium 634mg 13%
Fiber 3g 12%
Sugar 6g 12%
Vitamin A 4693IU 94%
Vitamin C 5mg 6%
Calcium 86mg 9%
Iron 3mg 17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.