Bolognese Sauce

Bolognese sauce is a classic Italian sauce. There are so many versions of this sauce out there.  Many of the recipes contain the same ingredients as the base.  I took some of those items and then added a few of my own tweaks to make it my own.  My husband loves a meat sauce and I want him to eat vegetables so I use this recipe to sneak in some vegetables.  This recipe is great for kids too.  I like to use this recipe to top fresh fettuccine pasta but it also goes well with spaghetti squash for those who are trying to avoid pasta.  I used meat from my Meat CSA at the Garden of Eve and organic ingredients.  But you can use conventional ingredients for the same result.

Makes 3 quarts, about 6 hearty servings.

Ingredients:

2 slices bacon, diced
1 onion, finely diced
5 baby bella mushrooms, finely diced
2 carrots, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, finely diced
1/2 cup red wine
2 cups beef broth
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 TBS olive oil
1 lb ground pork
1.5 lb ground beef
2 28 oz. cans tomatoes (puree, diced or crushed)
1 TBS Italian seasoning
1 TBS salt
1 tsp pepper
2 Bay leaves
1 Parmesan cheese rind
1 cup milk, half and half or cream

In a large pot, brown the bacon until crispy.

Remove the bacon, drain and set aside.

 

Using the bacon fat, sweat the onion, mushrooms, carrots and garlic but cooking them down but not browning.

Veggies finely diced

Add the wine, broth and Worcestershire sauce and cook down by half.

While the liquid is cooking down, place a saute pan on the stove, add the olive oil and heat.

Add the pork and brown. 

Drain the pork from its fat and add the meat to the pot with the veggies.

Brown the beef in the same pan in the same manner as you did the pork. 

 

Add the beef to the pot of veggies.

Add the rest of  the ingredients to the pot.

Add the bacon you had set aside earlier.

Simmer the mixture using low heat until a thick sauce results, about 2 hours.

Serve over pasta or spaghetti squash.

This freezes well if you have leftovers or extra.