* 2 pounds 90/10 ground beef * 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil * 2 medium onions, peeled and finely diced * 4 stalks celery, trimmed and finely diced * 2 large carrots, peeled and finely diced * 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced * 1–2 red Fresno chili eppers, trimmed and minced, or use crushed red pepper to taste * 3 tablespoons butter * 6 ounces tomato paste * 3 cups water or chicken stock * 1 cup whole milk * 1½ cups finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano (use the small holes on the side of your box grater; the cheese should be powdery) * 16 ounces pappardelle * Salt and pepper to taste
**Instructions:**
**Brown the beef:**
1. Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook, breaking it up as it cooks, for 15 minutes until cooked through. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a bowl and drain off excess fat.
**Cook the vegetables:**
1. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in the pot over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, and carrots and cook for 8-10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. 2. Add the garlic and red Fresno pepper and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
**Brown the tomato paste:**
1. Melt the butter into the vegetables and add the tomato paste. Cook for 3-4 minutes, mashing the paste into the veggies. Once the paste begins to deepen in color and stick to the pot, add the ground beef. Toss to coat in the paste and break the beef up with a wooden spoon into little pieces.
**Simmer the sauce:**
1. Pour in the water or chicken stock. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low. 2. Add 1 cup of whole milk to a big glass measuring cup and scoop in 1 cup of the hot beef mixture. Once the milk has been tempered, add it to the pot. Taste and season. 3. Simmer the sauce, covered, for 2 hours. Stir periodically to ensure it’s not sticking. Remove the lid and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Taste and season. It should be very thick. Make sure you cook it until very thick and most of the liquid has evaporated. 4. Use a spoon to mash up any bigger pieces of carrots.
**Boil the pasta:**
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt. Cook the pasta until 2 minutes under what the package recommends. Reserve ½ cup pasta cooking water. Drain the pasta and set aside.
**Finish the pasta and bolognese:**
1. Turn the heat on the sauce to medium-high. Once it begins to bubble, Add 1 cup of grated parmesan and stir until melted. Add the cooked pasta and pasta water and toss to coat. Cook for 2 minutes until pasta is al dente, and the sauce clings to the pasta. Taste and season.
**To serve:**
1. Transfer the pasta and sauce to a large serving bowl. Garnish with the remaining grated parmesan. Enjoy!
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**Ingredients:**
* 2 pounds 90/10 ground beef
* 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
* 2 medium onions, peeled and finely diced
* 4 stalks celery, trimmed and finely diced
* 2 large carrots, peeled and finely diced
* 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
* 1–2 red Fresno chili eppers, trimmed and minced, or use crushed red pepper to taste
* 3 tablespoons butter
* 6 ounces tomato paste
* 3 cups water or chicken stock
* 1 cup whole milk
* 1½ cups finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano (use the small holes on the side of your box grater; the cheese should be powdery)
* 16 ounces pappardelle
* Salt and pepper to taste
**Instructions:**
**Brown the beef:**
1. Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook, breaking it up as it cooks, for 15 minutes until cooked through. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a bowl and drain off excess fat.
**Cook the vegetables:**
1. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in the pot over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, and carrots and cook for 8-10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Add the garlic and red Fresno pepper and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
**Brown the tomato paste:**
1. Melt the butter into the vegetables and add the tomato paste. Cook for 3-4 minutes, mashing the paste into the veggies. Once the paste begins to deepen in color and stick to the pot, add the ground beef. Toss to coat in the paste and break the beef up with a wooden spoon into little pieces.
**Simmer the sauce:**
1. Pour in the water or chicken stock. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low.
2. Add 1 cup of whole milk to a big glass measuring cup and scoop in 1 cup of the hot beef mixture. Once the milk has been tempered, add it to the pot. Taste and season.
3. Simmer the sauce, covered, for 2 hours. Stir periodically to ensure it’s not sticking. Remove the lid and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Taste and season. It should be very thick. Make sure you cook it until very thick and most of the liquid has evaporated.
4. Use a spoon to mash up any bigger pieces of carrots.
**Boil the pasta:**
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt. Cook the pasta until 2 minutes under what the package recommends. Reserve ½ cup pasta cooking water. Drain the pasta and set aside.
**Finish the pasta and bolognese:**
1. Turn the heat on the sauce to medium-high. Once it begins to bubble, Add 1 cup of grated parmesan and stir until melted. Add the cooked pasta and pasta water and toss to coat. Cook for 2 minutes until pasta is al dente, and the sauce clings to the pasta. Taste and season.
**To serve:**
1. Transfer the pasta and sauce to a large serving bowl. Garnish with the remaining grated parmesan. Enjoy!