If you aren’t familiar with Anne, she was a legendary chef who appeared regularly on the Food Network for 20 years. We made her Pasta Bolognese recipe many years ago and loved it. It is so packed with flavor that it has become my favorite bolognese sauce. If you have never tried it, I highly recommend that you do. You can’t shortcut the process, though. It takes an afternoon to make so it is a good option for a weekend when you have time. It freezes well, so you can heat it up mid-week if you like.
My one recommendation is that you taste the sauce as you are getting close to it being done. If you feel it is a little bitter, you can add a tablespoon or so of sugar. Otherwise, this is a recipe that I follow as-is.
Anne’s original recipe can be found here:
https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/anne-burrell/pasta-bolognese-recipe-1939315
Ingredients
- 1 large or 2 small Onions (cut into 1-inch dice)
- 2 large Carrots (cut into 1/2-inch dice)
- 3 ribs Celery (cut into 1-inch dice)
- 4 cloves Garlic
- Extra-virgin olive oil (for the pan)
- Kosher salt
- 3 lbs Ground Beef (Chuck, Brisket, Round or combination)
- 2 cups Tomato Paste
- 3 cups Red Wine (hearty)
- Water
- 3 Bay Leaves
- 1 bunch Thyme (tied in a bundle)
- 1 lb Pasta (your choice)
- 1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano (grated)
- Extra-virgin olive oil (High quality, for finishing)
- Sugar To Taste (optional)
- Crushed Red Pepper (optional)
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1:
In a food processor, puree onion, carrots, celery, and garlic into a coarse paste. In a large pan over medium heat, coat pan with oil. Add the pureed veggies and season generously with salt. Bring the pan to a medium-high heat and cook until all the water has evaporated and they become nice and brown, stirring frequently, about 15 to 20 minutes. Be patient, this is where the big flavors develop.
Step 2:
Add the ground beef and season again generously with salt. BROWN THE BEEF! Brown food tastes good. Don’t rush this step. Cook another 15 to 20 minutes.
Step 3:
Add the tomato paste and cook until brown about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the red wine. Cook until the wine has reduced by half, another 4 to 5 minutes.
Step 4:
Add water to the pan until the water is about 1 inch above the meat. Toss in the bay leaves and the bundle of thyme and stir to combine everything. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer, stirring occasionally. As the water evaporates you will gradually need to add more, about 2 to 3 cups at a time. Don’t be shy about adding water during the cooking process, you can always cook it out. This is a game of reduce and add more water. This is where big rich flavors develop. If you try to add all the water in the beginning you will have boiled meat sauce rather than a rich, thick meaty sauce. Stir and TASTE frequently. Season with salt, if needed (you probably will). Simmer for 3 1/2 to 4 hours. The picture below shows the sauce after adding water.
Step 5:
During the last 30 minutes of cooking, taste the sauce to determine if you need to add a little sugar. Continue cooking until you have cooked out all of the remaining water and are left with a thick ragu. If the ragu is watery it will drain out on your plate.
Step 6:
bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat to cook the spaghetti. Pasta water should ALWAYS be well salted. Salty as the ocean! TASTE IT! If your pasta water is under seasoned it doesn’t matter how good your sauce is, your complete dish will always taste under seasoned. When the water is at a rolling boil add the pasta and cook for 1 minute less than it calls for on the package. If you are serving family style, follow Step 7 in Anne’s original recipe (linked above). If not, serve the ragu over the pasta, adding the Parmigiano-Reggiano and red pepper flakes to taste.
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