I figured it out and made it my own! (Bolognese with Pasta and Lemon-Basil Gremolata)

A bit of nutmeg and cinnamon plus a fresh lemon-basil
gremolata make this bolognese a winner!

Wherever we go it seems like we end up in a quaint little Italian restaurant and Steve invariably orders the bolognese. I’ve tried to duplicate the dishes before, but something was always missing. 

This week, we celebrated our wedding anniversary at one of our favorite haunts that does a particularly good bolognese served with their hand cut pasta, and yes, Steve ordered his favorite dish. As she described the specials, our server noted that the chef adds a bit of nutmeg and cinnamon to his sauce.

Bingo! That’s what was missing!

So yesterday I wrote and then tested the recipe below and had one of our friends for an impromptu dinner. Thumbs up, all around the table!

To make the dish my own, I topped it with a lemon-basil gremolata that adds a bit of freshness to what could be a very heavy dish. I also used a very light textured pappardelle pasta, which kept things on the lighter side as well.

It spends a couple of hours in a low oven, so it really isn’t much of a fuss.  Here’s how I did it.  

Bolognese with Pasta and Lemon-Basil Gremolata

Ingredients:

For the Bolognese

1 lb ground pork

1 lb ground beef

2 cups grape tomatoes, cut in half

1 small can tomato paste

1 cup dry white wine

2 cups beef broth

2 TBS olive oil

4TBS butter, divided

1/2 cup onion, diced

1/2 cup celery, diced

1/2 cup carrot, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 TBS dry oregano

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 cup cream or whole milk

1 package pappardelle  or fehttuchini pasta, cooked in salted water until al dente (follow directions on package)

Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper

2-3 inches of Parmesan rind (save the rinds from fresh parmesan the freezer and toss them in soups, stews and sauces like this one)

 For the Gremolata: Combine in a small bowl:

1/4 cup fine chopped fresh basil

Zest of one lemon

1/4 cup parmesan cheese,

1/4 cup pine nuts

Method:

Heat the oven to 325 degrees

In a Dutch oven:

• On a high heat, brown the beef and pork in the olive oil with a teaspoon Kosher salt and about 20 grinds black pepper, then drain away the grease and put the meat in a bowl covered with foil to keep warm. (Hint, if you have a cup style de-greaser, pour all of the juices and the fat from the pan into it with the beef broth. Then strain away the fat when you add the broth into the dish later)

• Lower the teat to medium and add  2TBS of the butter to the pot snd sauté the onions until translucent, then add the garlic, carrots and celery and cook another 2 minutes. Add the can of tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes to develop its flavor.

• Now add the meat back to the pot with the oregano, nutmeg, cinnamon and another 1/2 teaspoon of Kosher salt. Stir to combine and then add the wine and beef stock, raise the heat to bring to a boil; then turn off the heat, cover the pot with its lid and put the whole thing in the oven to cook low and slow for 90 minutes; then remove from the oven, stir in the milk and return to the oven, uncovered, for another 30 minutes. 

• Remove from the oven, let cool for 10 minutes and then stir in the remaining 2 TBS of butter. 

• To serve, put half of the sauce in a large skillet with the pasta and toss to coat, add some pasta water if necessary to coat completely. Then top each person’s serving with a scoop of the remaining sauce and garnish with the gremolata.

Enjoy!