Rachael Rays Big Boy Bolognese Recipes

RACHAEL RAY'S BIG BOY BOLOGNESE

Steps:

• In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and the fat is rendered, 3-4 minutes. Add the sirloin and pork to the pot and brown for 12-15 minutes. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened, 8-10 minutes more.
• Add the salt, pepper, nutmeg, bay leaves, thyme, marjoram or oregano. Stir in the tomato paste for a minute or so, then add the wine and scrape up all the drippings. Reduce the wine by half, 2-3 minutes, then stir in stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer and thicken the sauce for 1-1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally to keep the sauce from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Add the milk or cream and simmer while the water for the pasta comes to a boil and the pasta cooks.
• When you're ready to serve, bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, then cook the pasta to al dente. Heads up: just before draining reserve 1 cup of starchy cooking water.
• Drain the pasta and toss it back into the pot it was cooked in, along with the reserved cooking water, about a cup of grated cheese and a couple of handfuls of chopped parsley. Add half the pasta sauce and toss well to coat.
• Serve the pasta in shallow bowls, topped with additional sauce. Pass the remaining cheese at the table.

DOUBLE-BATCH CLASSIC BOLOGNESE

Steps:

• You know you love it and you know you make it your own special way if you've ever made it before. Here is my take on the classic, if only to be used as a helpful reminder to make-ahead a batch especially in the winter months.;
• Warm 2 cups milk in small pot over lowest heat.
• Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium to medium-high heat. Add the pancetta and cook until lightly brown. Then add the chicken livers, and cook almost through. Add the onions, celery, carrots, garlic, rosemary, and bay leaves, and cook until tender, 10 minutes.
• Add the ground meat and cook through breaking into pieces, but do not brown. Season with salt, pepper, nutmeg, clove, and stir in the wine and allow it to cook into the meat, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the warm milk to the meat and allow it to absorb into the meat for 1 minute. Stir in the beef stock, vegetable stock, and tomatoes. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat and simmer over low heat for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
• Divide the sauce in 1/2, cool, and freeze one batch. Cool and store the remainder for a make-ahead meal within the week. Alternately, cook pasta to al dente, thin the sauce a bit with a bit of starchy pasta water and toss with pasta dressed with butter to combine. Top with grated cheese and chopped celery leaves. Serve with green salad.

CLASSIC BOLOGNESE

Steps:

• Heat a large, heavy pot over medium heat. Add EVOO, 2 turns of the pan. Add the butter to the oil in small pieces and when the butter foams, add the onions, carrots, celery, garlic and bay and stir, about 5 minutes. Add pancetta and stir 8 to 10 more minutes to render and crisp. Add about a third of the beef and crumble it with a wooden paddle or spoon, let all of the liquid absorb and let the meat begin to lightly caramelize before adding the next third; repeat. Season the meat with salt, pepper, white pepper and nutmeg. Add white wine, about a quarter to a third of a bottle, then stir and let it absorb into the meat. Scrape up all of the fond or the drippings from the meats and vegetables, being careful not to burn the meat. Add milk, tomatoes and about 1 cup stock, a piece of cheese rind from Parmigiano-Reggiano if you have one, then lower heat to simmer, partially cover and cook the sauce 2 1/2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally and thoroughly with a wooden spoon. Add up to 1 extra cup of stock if needed if sauce gets too thick. The perfect traditional Bolognese should be buttery, uniform and emulsified, the consistency of rich, tender, pourable oatmeal. Remove bay leaf and the rind, if using, from the sauce. Sauce may be made a few days ahead as the longer it sets, the better it gets.
• To serve, cook pasta in salted water 1 minute less than package directions for al dente. Reserve 1 full cup of starchy cooking water, then drain pasta and place back in hot pot.
• Combine pasta with about two-thirds of the sauce, the cooking water and a couple of handfuls of grated cheese, tossing with tongs to combine.
• Serve pasta in shallow bowls with a little torn basil.

PORTOBELLO AND SPINACH BOLOGNESE

Steps:

• Place the dried mushrooms in small pot and cover with water or chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and steep.
• Heat a heavy pot over medium to medium-high heat with 2 turns of the pan extra-virgin olive oil. When hot, add the butter and melt into the oil then add portabellas. After 6 minutes, add the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, and bay leaf. Saute until tender, 15 minutes, then separate and add spinach. Season the spinach mixture with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Stir in the tomato paste and cook 1 minute. Deglaze with wine. Remove the dried mushrooms from the steeping liquid. Chop the mushrooms and stir into the sauce. Add the steeping liquid, reserving the last few spoonfuls as any grit on the mushrooms will have settled at the bottom. Stir in the milk. Simmer over low heat 20 minutes. Cool completely and store for a make-ahead meal.
• Reheat the dish over medium heat. Add a little stock or milk to loosen the sauce up again.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt the water and cook the pasta to al dente. Drain the pasta and toss with sauce. Serve in shallow bowls, topped with parsley and Pecorino cheese.