Marcella Hazan Bolognese

The Marcella Hazan Bolognese recipe is one which Italian cooks and home cooks all over the world keep returning to. It consists of ground beef together with a mild mixture of onion, celery and carrot, a little milk, white wine and tomatoes. All these ingredients are left to simmer slowly until the sauce has thickened, acquired a shiny appearance and become very savoury. Garlic is not included and there is no long list of herbs; instead, what is needed is patience and good technique. The outcome is a thick, smooth sauce which sticks to each strand of pasta; although it requires a good deal of time it involves only a small amount of effort and the taste is much better than that of a fast weeknight sauce.

What Is Bolognese?

Bolognese, or ragù alla bolognese, is a meat-based sauce that has been slowly cooked in Bologna in northern Italy. Rather than being a sauce heavy on tomatoes, it is mainly concerned with the meat, tomato acting in a subsidiary capacity and milk and winecontributing sweetness and depth. Marcella Hazan’s recipe is regarded as one of the most authentic and it is customary to serve it with fresh egg tagliatelle not spaghetti.

Why You’ll Love This Marcella Hazan Bolognese

The ingredientss used are simple and common, with no unnecessary additions. The milk gives the meat incredible tenderness and makes the sauce become round and mellow. It is generally left to the stove to carry out the work. It produces a large quantity and freezes very well. The taste becomes even better the following day

Marcella Hazan Bolognese Recipe (Classic Italian Meat Sauce, 3-Hour Simmer)

You can prepare a genuine Marcella Hazan Bolognese using groundbeef, milk, white wine and tomatoes; it is a slow-simmered, silky meat sauce made withsimple ingredients and easy-to-follow steps.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 3 hours hrs 15 minutes mins

Total Time 3 hours hrs 45 minutes mins

Servings: 4

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

For the sauce base:

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 3 tablespoons butter plus 1 tablespoon for tossing the pasta
• ½ cup finely chopped yellow onion
• ⅔ cup finely chopped celery
• ⅔ cup finely chopped carrot
• For the meat and simmer:
• ¾ pound ground beef chuck
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup whole milk
• Whole nutmeg for grating (about ⅛ teaspoon)
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1½ cups canned Italian tomatoes chopped, with their juice

To serve:

• 1½ pounds tagliatelle or other ribbon pasta
• Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• Fresh basil leaves optional garnish

Choosing the Ingredients

• Use ground chuck since it contains sufficient fat to give the sauce both richness and
• tenderness. Use whole milk not low-fat milk. Good canned tomatoes—for example, San
• Marzano style—make a real difference. Chop the vegetables very finely so that they melt
• into the sauce

Method

 

How to Make Marcella Hazan Bolognese

In the first place

1. Soften the onion by placing the oil and three tablespoons of butter in a
2. heavy pot and setting it over medium heat; when the butter has melted, add the onion
3. and cook it until it becomes translucent.

In step 2

1. Add the celery and the carrot; then stir in the celery and the carrot and cook
2. them for about 2 minutes while stirring to coat them with the fat.

In step 3

1. Brown the beef by adding the ground beef together with a large pinch of salt
2. and some grinds of pepper; then use a spoon to crumble it up and cook it until it has just
3. lost its raw red colour, without letting it brown too much.

In step 4

1. Add the milk and allow it to bubble gently until all of it has evaporated, then
2. grate in the nutmeg and stir.

In step 5

1. Add the wine; add the white wine and then simmer it until it has also
2. evaporated.

In step 6

1. Add the tomatoes and also the juice. As the sauce starts to bubble, reduce the
2. heat to its lowest setting.

In step 7

1. Cook the mixture slowly and at a low temperature, leaving it uncovered and
2. keeping it at a slow simmer for a minimum of three hours and stirring from time to time. If
3. the sauce tends to dry out, then add ½ cup of water as necessary. The sauce is done
4. when the fat separates from it and the texture is thick and rich.

In step 8

1. Throw in the pasta and serve it. Cook the pasta until it reaches an al dente
2. consistency and then drain it. Mix the pasta with the sauce and the remaining tablespoon
3. of butter and serve it with a good amount of Parmigiano.

Pro Tips for the Best Bolognese

1. So that the sauce will cook evenly without burning, use a pot with a heavy base.
2. Cut the vegetables into a fine consistency so that the sauce will be smooth and
3. cohesive.
4. You should not omit the step involving the milk since it is the secret to tenderness.
5. Keep the heat at a very low level. The sauce should only just bubble.
6. Only now and then should you stir, and at the end you should taste it for salt.
7. Add the pasta to the sauce in the pan so that it can take in the flavour.
8. What to Serve with Bolognese
9. Fresh egg tagliatelle, pappardelle or ruffled ribbon pasta
10. Crusty bread for mopping up the sauce
11. A simple green salad with lemon dressing
12. Roasted vegetables or sautéed spinach
13. A glass of red wine

Easy Variations

1. To make lasagna, place the sauce, then add layers of pasta and béchamel.
2. For a mixed meat dish, use equal parts beef and pork to increase the richness.
3. For red wine, replace the white wine with a dry red one if you want a more intense
4. flavour.
5. Pancetta: Chop some pancetta finely and add it along with the onion.
6. Once the tomatoes have been added, cook the sauce on low for 6 to 8 hours.
7. Add a finish of fresh herbs by placing torn basil, as shown in the photo.

Storage and Reheating

1. You can keep the leftover sauce in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to four
2. days. If you want to store it for a longer period, freeze it in portions for as long as three
3. months and then thaw it overnight in the fridge. When reheating, do so gently on the
4. stove using low heat and add a little water if the sauce has thickened too much.

Common Questions

What is there in Bolognese that makes it contain milk?

1. Milk softens the meat and counteracts the acidity of the tomatoes, resulting in a milder
2. and sweeter taste.

Can I use spaghetti?

1. Yes you can, although pasta made in the shape of a wide ribbon such as tagliatelle
2. retains the thick sauce much better.

Does it actually require three hours?

1. Certainly. It is the slow, prolonged simmering that gives the sauce its flavour and texture;
2. if the cooking time is reduced the sauce will be thinner and less rich.

Does Marcella Hazan’s Bolognese contain garlic?

1. On the contrary, the traditional recipe makes use of onion, celery and carrot together with
2. the meat, milk and wine.

Shall I manage to do it in advance?

1. Certainly, it actually tastes even better the day after, which is why it’s ideal for meal
2. prepping

Notes

This Bolognese recipe by Marcella Hazan shows that it is possible to create something wonderful using only a few simple ingredients and by exercising a bit of patience. Tender beef, sweet vegetables, milk, wine and tomatoes combine to form a sauce which is worth all the time spent cooking it. When you serve it with fresh pasta and sprinkle on some Parmigiano, you have a genuine Italian classic. So if you attempt this recipe, please leave a comment and a rating below and let us know how it worked out.