First it was the meatballs, which, exactly as written, were the most perfect meatballs I’d ever eaten. Then I tried a few hearty soups and pastas with equal success, and soon it had become my first point of research for any classic Italian cooking. So a few weeks back, in the middle of another snowstorm when nothing but a slow-simmering pot of meaty bolognese sauce would do, Franny’s was my first point of reference. I made a few significant changes to meet my tastes – doubling the amount of tomatoes and using a mixture of beef

Rigatoni Bolognese

Rigatoni Bolognese

Rigatoni Bolognese Ragu

Serves 6-8.

  • 2 TBS butter
  • 2 TBS olive oil
  • 1 lb. ground pork
  • 1 lb. ground beef
  • 1/2 tsp chili flakes
  • 1/4 lb. bacon, sliced into 1 inch pieces
  • 6 large garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 large onion, peeled and finely diced
  • 3 carrots, peeled and finely diced
  • 2 TBS tomato paste
  • 2/3 c. dry red wine
  • One 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes
  • 2 c. water
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 lbs. rigatoni, cooked according to package directions
  1. In a heavy stockpot, heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add the ground beef and pork, season with salt and chili flakes, and cook until browned all the way through. Use a slotted spoon to remove the meat to a bowl and set aside. Add the sliced bacon and cook until crispy. Remove the cooked bacon to the bowl with the cooked beef and pork. Drain the fat from the pot, returning 3 TBS of the fat to the pot and discarding the rest.
  2. Lower heat to medium-low. Add the minced garlic, onion, and carrot to the pot and cook, stirring frequently, until onion is translucent and carrot is tender, about 10-15 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, then add the red wine and bring to a simmer.
  3. Add the meat and bacon back to the pot, along with the tomatoes, water, and salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer then cover the pot with a lid and simmer for 40 minutes to 1 hour. Remove the lid and continue to simmer until ragu has reached desired consistency. Serve immediately on prepared rigatoni.

Dining and Cooking