Rigatoni Bolognese
Rigatoni Bolognese is a tried and true Italian pasta recipe that turns out amazing every time! This savory, meaty sauce takes time to build flavor, but is super simple to make!
Servings:8 servings
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 brown or white onions, finely chopped
- 4 carrots, peeled & finely chopped
- 2 celery sticks, finely chopped
- salt, to taste
- 1 tbsp minced garlic, heaped
- 8 oz pancetta
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 lb ground pork
- ground black pepper, to taste
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 28oz can diced tomatoes, I use fire roasted tomatoes, see note
- 1 ¼ cup low sodium chicken broth
- 1 ¼ cups red cooking wine
- 2 tbsp dried oregano
- ½ cup milk
- 1.5 pounds Rigatoni pasta noodles, or similar tube-shape pasta noodles
- shredded parmesan, for serving
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan or deep casserole over a medium high heat. Add the onions, carrots and celery with a pinch of salt and cook for about 10 minutes until the vegetables are soft and just starting to color. Stir in the garlic and cook for a further minute until aromatic.
- Stir in the pancetta and cook, stirring often until it as cooked through but not colored. If it looks like the vegetables or the garlic might burn, just turn down the heat and keep on stirring.
- Add the ground beef and pork, and stir so it is all broken up and starting to color. Turn the heat up to high and cook, stirring often until the meat is cooked through and has started to brown. Season well with more salt, a little pepper and add the sugar.
- Stir in the tomato paste so that it has coated the meat, cooking for a minute or two to allow it to caramelize.
- Add the canned tomatoes, broth and red wine, using a little of the wine to wash the remaining tomato juices from the tin so you can add them to the pot. Stir in the oregano and reduce the heat to medium.
- Allow the sauce to bubble away on quite a rapid simmer (but not a boil) for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then stir in the milk and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for a further 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a pot of salted water as per the package instructions. Reserve at least a cup of the cooking water.
- Season the sauce to taste with more salt and pepper, if needed, and remove any portions from the pot you’d like to save for later before adding the drained pasta and turning the heat back up to medium. Stir, and add a splash of the reserved cooking water. Keep stirring and adding splashes of water until the sauce has become glossy, it coats the pasta and has reached the desired consistency.
- Serve in warm bowls topped with the shredded parmesan, and with some torn fresh basil, if liked.
Notes
The Ground Pork: The ground pork can be substituted for more ground beef, if desired. Don’t choose lean meat as it will make the bolognese taste dry.
The Tomato Paste: Try to buy an Italian brand of tomato paste that usually comes in a tube rather than an American one in a can; Italian brands usually have a higher concentration of rich tomato flavor as they are often produced differently. Mutti is a good brand to look out for and they also make excellent canned tomatoes. However, the caramelization step is the most important for adding flavor regardless of what brand you use.
The Diced Tomatoes: I love the added flavor from using diced fire roasted tomatoes even if it is a little less than traditional for bolognese.
Make Ahead: This recipe is great for batch cooking and meal prep as it freezes well. If you’re planning on freezing portions be sure to use meat and pancetta that have not already been frozen before. Otherwise it will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
Calories: 891 kcal, Carbohydrates: 84 g, Protein: 38 g, Fat: 41 g, Saturated Fat: 14 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 18 g, Trans Fat: 1 g, Cholesterol: 102 mg, Sodium: 353 mg, Potassium: 917 mg, Fiber: 5 g, Sugar: 7 g, Vitamin A: 5253 IU, Vitamin C: 6 mg, Calcium: 104 mg, Iron: 4 mg