Total Time: 5 hours
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Active Cooking Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Make Ahead: Sauce can be refrigerated for 2 days or frozen for 1 month
Difficulty: Easy

5 Tablespoons unsalted butter

1 small onion

1 small carrot

1 small celery rib

table salt

1 Pound meatloaf mix or 1/3 pound each ground beef chuck, ground veal, and ground pork *

1½ Cups whole milk * *

1½ Cups dry white wine * * *

3 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes * * * *

1 Pound fresh or dried fettuccine * * * * *

Grated Parmesan cheese

Prepare Ingredients

1. Peel 1 small onion and mince to yield 1/4 cup.
2. Peel 1 small carrot and mince to yield 1/4 cup.
3. Mince 1 small celery rib to yield 1/4 cup.
4. Drain 3 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes, reserving 1 1/2 cups juice.
5. Pulse drained tomatoes in food processor until slightly chunky, about 8 pulses.

6. Melt 3 tablespoons butter in large Dutch oven over medium heat.
7. Add onion, carrot, celery, and 1 teaspoon salt and cook until softened, 6 to 8 minutes.
8. Stir in 1 pound ground meat and cook, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 3 minutes.

9. Stir in 1 1/2 cups whole milk and bring to a simmer.
10. Cook until milk has evaporated and only clear fat remains, about 25 minutes.
11. Stir in 1 1/2 cups white wine and bring to simmer.
12. Cook until wine has evaporated, about 25 minutes.

13. Add tomatoes and reserved tomato juice to pot and bring to a bare simmer.
14. Cook gently over low heat until the liquid has evaporated, 3 to 3 1/2 hours. If using meatloaf mix, skim off fat that rises to the surface during simmering.
15. Season with salt to taste.

16. When sauce is almost ready, bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot.
17. Add 1 pound pasta and 1 tablespoon salt and cook until al dente.
18. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water.
19. Drain pasta.
20. Return pasta to cooking pot, and add sauce and remaining 2 tablespoons butter.
21. Toss to combine, adding cooking water as needed so that sauce coats the pasta.
22. Serve, passing Parmesan separately.

* Meatloaf mix is a premixed combination of equals parts ground beef, veal, and pork. If your grocery store sells it (not all do), it’s an easy way to purchase the meat needed to make Bolognese sauce. If your store doesn’t sell meatloaf mix, opt for 1/3 pound each type of ground meat. Meatloaf mix tends to be quite fatty, so be sure to skim off the fat that rises to the surface of the sauce during simmering.
* * The relative richness of whole milk is important to the flavor balance of the sauce. Do not substitute low-fat or skim milk for the whole milk. On the other hand, do not use heavy cream, which will cause the sauce to taste heavy and deadened.
* * * In this recipe, the wine is simmered until the moisture evaporates completely and only the wine’s flavor remains. Because the taste characteristics are concentrated in the sauce, use a dry white wine that is good enough to drink. Avoid oaked wines like California chardonnay.
* * * * Canned diced tomatoes are a staple in our pantry, and we use them in everything from Italian pasta sauces to all-American chilis. Despite being canned, the tomatoes should taste fresh, bright, and sweet-tart and have a firm-ripe texture. Hunt’s and Muir Glen were the two brands that topped our tasting.
* * * * * This sauce is best with fresh (either homemade or store-bought) fettuccine, although dried fettuccine made with egg will also work.