Porcini Bolognese Recipes

THE BEST BOLOGNESE

Steps:

• Combine the beef and pork in a large bowl. "Pull" the ground meat apart with two forks as if you were shredding pulled pork, breaking up the clumps and incorporating the meat without compacting it. Continue to pull the meat apart until thoroughly mixed and no clumps remain.
• Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Cook the pancetta, stirring occasionally, until the fat has rendered and is golden brown on all sides, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer the pancetta with a slotted spoon to a large bowl, leaving the fat in the pot.
• Spread half of the ground meat in an even layer in the pot and cook undisturbed until lightly golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Toss and continue to cook, breaking up any clumps with the back of a spoon and scraping up any browned bits from the pot, until the meat is lightly browned on both sides, 1 to 2 minutes more. Transfer the browned meat with a slotted spoon to the bowl with the pancetta, leaving the fat in the pot. Repeat with the remaining ground meat.
• Reduce the heat to medium. Add the garlic, celery, carrots, onions, bay leaf, nutmeg, 2 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender but not browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, until very fragrant and brick red, about 2 minutes. Stir in the wine, bring to a boil and cook until it reduces and thickens and no smell of alcohol remains, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the stock, milk and browned meat.
• Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Add the Parmesan rind and simmer, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated away and the mixture resembles sloppy joes, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. There shouldn't be any rapid bubbles while cooking. Instead, the sauce should release occasional small bubbles. If you have a small burner you should use it; the larger burners even at their lowest setting might cook the sauce too quickly. If the sauce reduces too quickly, add 1/2 cup of stock or water and continue cooking; repeat if necessary. The sauce needs the full 2 to 2 1/2 hour cook time to develop the flavors.
• Discard the bay leaf and Parmesan rind. Use the back of a spoon to break up any remaining clumps of meat for an even-textured sauce. Season with salt and keep warm.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Cook the pasta. If using fresh pasta, cook about 3 minutes. If using dry, cook until very al dente, about 2 minutes less than the package directions.
• Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking liquid, then drain the pasta and transfer to the sauce. Increase the heat to medium, bring the sauce to a simmer and cook, tossing the pasta constantly, until the pasta is al dente and the sauce is slightly thickened, adding pasta cooking liquid if necessary, about 2 minutes.
• Transfer the pasta to a platter and top with grated Parmesan.

BEST EVER BOLOGNESE SAUCE

Steps:

• Fry the bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until done (don't drain the bacon grease). Add the butter and the onion, carrot, celery and garlic and cook until softened, 5-7 minutes.
• Add the ground beef, veal, sausage and salt and cook until no pink remains. Add the milk, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 1 hour.
• Add the consomme, white and red wine, tomatoes and all remaining ingredients except for the parsley. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Uncover and continue simmering on very low for another 2 hours. If the bolognese is too runny, uncover and simmer another 30 minutes or until sufficiently thickened. Stir in the parsley and simmer for another minute.
• Serve over pasta (fresh is best) with some freshly grated aged Italian cheese.
• Note: This sauce freezes well and can be used in any pasta dish, including lasagna.

VEAL, PORK AND PORCINI BOLOGNESE SAUCE

Steps:

• In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook gently to sweat for about 2 minutes. Do not let the onions caramelize. Add the garlic and rosemary and cook about 1 minute, or until garlic is lightly browned.
• Add the veal and pork and cook, smashing the meat apart with a wooden spoon, to keep it from clumping together. Cook for about 2 minutes and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the mushrooms and continue to cook about 4 minutes, evaporating any liquid and caramelizing the meat.
• Add the porcini juice to the meat and cook for 1 minute to evaporate. Add the veal stock and cook for 2 minutes. Add the marinara and the wine. Reduce the heat and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the parsley.
• Toss 2 tablespoons of the Parmesan into the sauce to help it bind. Add some reserved pasta water, as necessary, if the sauce appears too dry. Top with the remaining Parmesan.
• Heat the olive oil in a large non-reactive pot over moderate heat. Add the onion and saute until translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the parsley and garlic and cook briefly to release their fragrance. Add the tomatoes, basil and salt. Simmer briskly until reduced to a sauce like consistency, stirring occasionally so nothing sticks to the bottom of the pot. The timing will depend on the ripeness and meatiness of your tomatoes and the size of your pot. If the sauce thickens too much before the flavors have developed, add a little water and continue cooking.
• Taste and adjust the seasoning. If the sauce tastes too acidic, add the baking soda and cook for 5 more minutes. If it needs a touch of sweetness, add the sugar and cook for 5 more minutes. Remove the basil stem before serving.

MUSHROOM BOLOGNESE

Steps:

• Place the porcini mushrooms in a small bowl and cover with the boiling water; let stand until softened, about 10 minutes. Drain and save the liquid. Rinse the porcini and chop them.
• Meanwhile, working in batches if needed, combine the cremini mushrooms, button mushrooms and shiitake mushrooms in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Transfer to a large bowl. Add the onion, carrot, celery and garlic to the food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Transfer to the bowl with the mushrooms.
• Heat enough oil to generously cover the bottom of a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the chopped vegetables, thyme, rosemary, oregano, tomato paste and red pepper flakes and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring occasionally, until caramelized, about 20 minutes.
• Add the wine, soy sauce and the porcinis and their soaking water to the pot. Cook until the wine evaporates, then add the diced tomatoes. Cover, reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is deep red in color, 30 minutes to 1 hour. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking water. Keep the pasta warm if the sauce is still cooking.
• Add the pasta and pasta water to the pot with the sauce and toss to combine. Divide among plates or bowls and sprinkle with nutritional yeast if using and basil. Serve and enjoy!