Start the new year with one of my favorite comfort foods!
When I was thinking of what my first post of the new year should be, I thought about what I want my first meal of the year to be. It was an easy answer – Bolognese.
I have the greatest friends (no comparison!) and two things we love to do together is cook and eat. Some of my favorite memories are when my friend Annie would make this bolognese recipe with fresh bucatini from Eastern Market in DC. It would take hours to make so it was the perfect thing to make on a cold Sunday and sit around the tv together and watch football (Go Pack Go!).
When Annie and her husband, Shane, decided to move to Seattle a few years back, I asked if she would share this recipe and thankfully she did! This bolognese sustained me through the pandemic and really brought me comfort during the hardest times of the last two years. In fact, I’m sitting at Shane and Annie’s kitchen table as I write this, so add one more memory to the list! I could go on and on, but I think we should get to cooking. I hope this recipe brings you as many wonderful and comforting memories as it’s brought me!
Bolognese
¼ lb pancetta, diced small
1 ½ lbs of meatloaf mix (meatloaf mix is ground beef, pork and veal, but you can use whatever mix of meats you’d like)
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
3-4 garlic gloves (depending on how garlicky you like things)
Sage leaves, finely chopped
½ cup tomato paste
32 oz chicken broth
½ cup heavy cream
1 stick of butter, diced
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pound of bucatini or pappardelle
Heat a dutch oven over high heat. Add pancetta and turn heat down to medium heat and cook for 3-5 minutes. Add the meatloaf mix and cook until browned. Drain the meat and set aside. Using the same pot, add the onion, carrots, garlic and sage and heat until onions are translucent. Add the tomato paste, chicken broth and cooked meatloaf mix to the pot. Cook for about 20 minutes. Turn down to low and simmer for 2-3 hours. Right before serving, add heavy cream and butter and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Cook the pasta according to package directions. Serve the bolognese over pasta and top with freshly grated parmesan.
Step-by-Step Photo Guide
Heat dutch oven over high heat. Add pancetta and cook for 3-5 minutes.
Add meatloaf mix and brown. Once cooked, drain and set aside.
Cook onions, garlic, carrots and sage and cook until onions are translucent.
Add tomato paste, chicken broth and cooked meat to the pot. Cook for about 20 minutes. Turn down to low and simmer for 2-3 hours.
Right before you are ready to serve, add heavy cream and butter and cook an additional five minutes. Also, make the pasta according to the package directions.
Serve bolognese over pasta and top with freshly grated parmesan. Put on your most comfy outfit, sit in front of a roaring fire, pour a glass of red wine and enjoy!