The addition of milk to Bolognese sauce, as popularized by Marcella Hazan, tempers the tomatoes’ acidity with a sweet and creamy softness. To make it, you’ll need to set aside a few hours of simmering on the stove. But trust us, it’s so worth it.
What You’ll Need:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
2/3 cup diced onion
2/3 cup diced celery
2/3 cup diced carrots
1 lb ground beef
Salt and pepper
1 teaspoon dried parsley (or 1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley)
1 cup milk
1 cup dry red or white wine
One 14 oz can crushed tomatoes
To serve: 1 lb pasta, cooked, and grated Parmesan
What To Do:
Place olive oil and butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Once butter is melted, add the onion and sauté until translucent, 3–4 minutes. Stir in the celery and carrots and continue cooking until just tender, another 4–5 minutes.
Increase the heat slightly and add in the ground beef, breaking it up into small pieces with your utensil. Cook, tossing occasionally, until it is no longer pink. Season generously with salt and pepper. Stir in the parsley.
Pour in the milk, wine, and tomatoes and stir to combine. Bring to a brisk simmer, then reduce heat to low. Let simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until it is thick and the fat forms a layer on top of the liquid, about 3 hours. Add in a few splashes of water if it threatens to dry out at any point.
Toss the finished sauce with any cooked pasta and serve with grated Parmesan on top.
Serves 4.
Anyone who’s taken the time to do meatballs from scratch knows: they’re absolutely worth the extra effort. In the classic Italian-American version, the combination of veal, beef, and pork hits all the right notes—hearty yet balanced and satisfyingly rich.