Rigatoni with Slow-Simmered Bolognese Sauce

I am so thankful it has finally started to cool down and sprinkle some rain here in Oregon—we sure could use it! I found a recipe for rigatoni with slow-simmered bolognese sauce on America’s Test Kitchen that sounded amazing. The sauce takes four hours to prepare so make this recipe on a day you don’t have to rush. I adapted the recipe by using only beef & pork instead of equal parts beef, veal, and pork. The house smelled incredible and I loved the whole process of cooking this recipe. I served the rigatoni with freshly baked bread and a tossed salad for a delicious meal my family enjoyed.

Rigatoni with Slow-Simmered Bolognese Sauce

Ingredients:

• 5 tbsp butter divided
• 2 tbsp sweet yellow onion minced
• 2 tbsp carrot minced
• 2 tbsp celery minced
• ½ lb ground beef 85/15 (or 80/20 if you can)
• ¼ lb ground pork 80/20
• ½ tsp salt
• Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes to taste
• 1 clove of garlic minced
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 28 oz can of whole tomatoes, diced
• 1 pound rigatoni cooked al dente, per package instructions
• Parmesan grated

How to Make Rigatoni with Slow-Simmered Bolognese Sauce

Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery then cook, stirring often, until softened, about 6 minutes.

Add the ground beef and ground pork then season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes; crumble the meat into tiny pieces with a wooden spoon. Cook, continuing to crumble the meat, just until it loses its raw color but has not browned, about 3 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly for 30 seconds.

Add the milk and simmer, stirring often, until the milk evaporates and only rendered fat remains, about 15 minutes. Add the wine and simmer, stirring often, until the wine evaporates, about 15 minutes. Add the tomatoes and their juice and bring to a simmer just barely, with an occasional bubble or two at the surface, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has evaporated, about 3 hours. Season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste.

Cook the rigatoni in salted boiling water, per package instructions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of cooking liquid.

Add the cooked/drained pasta to the sauce and the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter; toss to coat evenly. Adjust the consistency of the sauce with some of the reserved pasta cooking water as needed. Serve immediately with parmesan on the side. Enjoy!

Rigatoni with Slow-Simmered Bolognese Sauce

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Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 4 hours hours

Total Time: 4 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Course: Main

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: 8

Author: Pam - For the Love of Cooking / Original by America's Test Kitchen

Equipment

• Large Dutch oven
• Large pot

Ingredients

• 5 tbsp butter divided
• 2 tbsp sweet yellow onion minced
• 2 tbsp carrot minced
• 2 tbsp celery minced
• ½ lb ground beef 85/15 (or 80/20 if you can)
• ¼ lb ground pork 80/20
• ½ tsp salt
• Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes to taste
• 1 clove of garlic minced
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 28 oz can of whole tomatoes, diced
• 1 pound rigatoni cooked al dente, per package instructions
• Parmesan grated

Instructions

• Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat.
• Add the onion, carrot, and celery then cook, stirring often, until softened, about 6 minutes.
• Add the ground beef and ground pork then season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes; crumble the meat into tiny pieces with a wooden spoon.
• Cook, continuing to crumble the meat, just until it loses its raw color but has not browned, about 3 minutes.
• Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly for 30 seconds.
• Add the milk and simmer, stirring often, until the milk evaporates and only rendered fat remains, about 15 minutes.
• Add the wine and simmer, stirring often, until the wine evaporates, about 15 minutes.
• Add the tomatoes and their juice and bring to a simmer just barely, with an occasional bubble or two at the surface, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has evaporated, about 3 hours.
• Season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste.
• Cook the rigatoni in a large pot of salted boiling water, per package instructions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of cooking liquid.
• Add the cooked/drained pasta to the sauce and the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter; toss to coat evenly.
• Adjust the consistency of the sauce with some of the reserved pasta cooking water as needed.
• Serve immediately with parmesan on the side. Enjoy!

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