I love a a deep, rich, almost intoxicating Bolognese.  The joy of gathering the ingredients, mincing, dicing — I enjoy all of it.  And I especially like the all-day cooking of it about as much as I love, love the way it makes my kitchen smell all homey and welcoming.  And the taste?  Oh my goodness.

Oh I know.  I could speed things up or put it all in the slow cooker to be left unattended, but there’s something in me that yearns for the slow simmer of the tomato gravy, vegetables, meats and herbs in my Le Creuset  cast iron French oven.  It’s just one of those cookware pieces that I really adore, and when you make this Bolognese ragu—and promise me that you will—use the heaviest ovenproof pot that you have, preferably cast iron or earthenware.  The problem I have with using the slow cooker is that it permits the condensate that gathers on the lid to fall back into the pot.  A Bolognese ragu needs to be thick and hearty so it really needs to simmer on the stove top or oven without a lid for no less than 3 to 4 hours.   And it needs  a pasta that is worthy of it.  The good kind. 

Papparadelle, if you will.  Make the effort to find it Or tagliatelle.  Both the papparadelle and tagliatelle are broader than fettucini or linguini and, therefore, can hold their own with the Bolognese ragu  Yes, you can use other pastas, and you will, because this sauce is so versatile.  You’ll use it on your eggplant parmesan, in your lasagna with meat sauce, on your grilled pizzas, with your rotini, trottole or tortellini, even a buccatini or conchiglie, but start with the paparadelle or tagliatelle.  You may never go back to that spaghetti noodle you are so accustomed to.  You’ll be spoiled, I promise.  Plus in Bologna, meat sauce is never served over spaghetti. 

 My Bolognese ragu starts with Amy Bradley-Hole’s Tuscan Garlic Sauce that she shared on a Foodie Friday post for Arkansas Women Bloggers.  It can also be ordered from Amy at Bonta Toscana.  We absolutely love this sauce.  Hubby probably would eat a bowl of it all by himself if given the opportunity.  When I make it, I often double the recipe.  I keep half of it plain and use the remainder to make the Bolognese ragu.  Both freeze very well and are so nice to have on hand.  It may seem strange to add milk to a tomato-based sauce, but  the milk tenderizes the meat and adds to the depth of flavor.

It isn’t necessary to stand over the stove while the ragu is simmering away at the merest bubbling.  You can turn off the heat if you need to leave for a bit and resume the cooking when you return.  It is best, however, to complete the cooking of the sauce all in one day.  It can be refrigerated and reheated when you are ready to serve it.  When you reheat it, don’t be tempted to add water to the sauce.  One of the characteristics of the Bolognese ragu is its thickness.  If you think it is absolutely necessary, start by adding a tablespoon or two at a time during the reheating. 

Some points to keep in mind:

• This is not a sauce for the leanest of meats; fat adds sweetness to your ragu.
• The milk in the recipe is there for a reason – tenderizing the meat and countering the acidity of the tomatoes – don’t omit it.
• Yes, add salt when you brown the meat.  This pulls out extra liquid that is not needed in the ragu.
• Don’t drown your pasta with the sauce; it is best to stir it in a ladle at a time to the pot of cooked, drained pasta, stirring well to coat.  Serve extra ragu on the side for those who like pasta swimming in sauce.