Rigatoni Bolognese Recipes

RIGATONI BOLOGNESE

Steps:

• Make the soffrito. Finely chopped onion, carrot, and celery. Yes, you can do this in a food processor. No, we don't generally. We like the soffrito to have some texture, not turn into pulp.
• Sweat the veggies. Heat olive oil and butter in a large dutch oven over medium-low to medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 3 minutes until translucent. Raise the heat to medium, then add the carrot and celery. Cook for an additional 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Brown the meat. Increase the heat to medium-high, then add the ground beef and ground pork. Season the meat immediately with 2 tsp Kosher salt and ½ tsp black pepper. Let this cook about 8-10 minutes, stirring often and breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon or spatula.
• Deglaze the pan. Pour in red wine, allowing it to reduce and evaporate, about 3-4 minutes. Don't worry, all the flavor stays behind!
• Skim the fat. Once the wine reduces, you'll see excess fat float to the top of the pan. Use a spoon to skim the fat, then discard. This will yield about ¾ - 1 cup of fat. Removing this makes the bolognese sauce less greasy.
• Add remaining liquid. Pour in the whole milk and chicken stock. Next, crush the tomatoes with your hands directly into the pot. Add two bay leaves and -- the most important part of the recipe! -- ½ lb finely chopped chicken livers.
• Simmer low and slow. Allow the sauce to simmer over low heat for 3 hours, checking on it and stirring every 30 minutes or so. If the heat is at a proper simmer, you shouldn't need to add any additional liquid at all.
• Finish the sauce. Remove the bay leaves, then add freshly chopped rosemary and thyme. Taste and adjust seasoning, as needed.
• When ready to serve, cook pasta. Cook rigatoni or other pasta according to package directions for al dente, meaning just slightly undercooked by 1-2 minutes. This is important! Before draining, reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water. Drain pasta, do NOT rinse, and set aside.
• Cook with pasta in the sauce. Transfer as much bolognese as you want to a large skillet. Heat over medium high heat until bubbly. Add al dente rigatoni or other pasta shape directly to the pan. Cook, stirring or shaking the pan often, so that each piece of pasta is completely coated with sauce. The final step: add a couple tablespoons (more, if making a lot of pasta) of the reserved pasta cooking water to help bind the sauce together. The starch from cooking the pasta will thicken the sauce and bring it to life!
• To serve. Add a couple tablespoons (more, if making a lot of pasta) of the reserved pasta cooking water to help bind the sauce together. Divide pasta between bowls, then serve with grated lemon zest and freshly grated Parmesan!

FRESH RIGATONI WITH BOLOGNESE SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add carrot, celery, and onion; cook for two minutes. Add beef and pork; cook, stirring occasionally, until meat is nicely browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, and 1/4 cup water; season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, bring a 6-quart pot filled with water to a boil over high heat. Generously salt water and return to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente, 5 to 7 minutes; drain.
• Add heavy cream, if using, to sauce; stir to combine. Serve immediately over pasta.

RIGATONI WITH VEGETABLE BOLOGNESE

Steps:

• Place the dried mushrooms in a small bowl and cover with 1 1/2 cups very hot water. Set aside and let the mushrooms soften.
• Place the carrots, onion, bell pepper, and garlic in a food processor. Pulse the vegetables until finely chopped but still chunky. Place the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chopped vegetables, thyme, oregano, salt, and pepper and cook until tender, about 6 minutes. Strain the porcini mushrooms, reserving the porcini mushroom liquid. Add the porcini mushrooms, fresh mushrooms, and tomato paste and continue cooking, stirring to dissolve the tomato paste, until the mushrooms are softened, about 5 minutes. Add the porcini mushroom liquid and red wine. Bring the liquid to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and let the mixture simmer until the liquid is reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Add mascarpone cheese and stir just until the cheese is incorporated.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid and add to the vegetable mixture. Add some of the reserved pasta cooking liquid, if necessary, to moisten the sauce. Toss with Parmesan and serve.

AUTHENTIC RIGATONI BOLOGNESE

Steps:

• Put the olive oil into a pan. Add the chopped veggies and saute until the celery softens.
• Add ground beef or veal and saute until meat browns.
• Add your favorite red wine (the alcohol will be absorbed during cooking process).
• Add the crushed tomatoes, salt and pepper to taste and allow this to simmer over low heat for at least an hour until sauce thickens.
• Boil rigatoni in hot, salted water.
• To plate the dish, put the rigatoni in a bowl, pour some sauce on top and garnish with some fresh parsley.

ONE POT RIGATONI BOLOGNESE

Steps:

• Brown the beef: Heat oil in a medium-large pan. Brown the beef, seasoning with a few pinches of salt and pepper as it cooks.
• Cook the vegetables: Add the finely chopped vegetables to the pot with the beef and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until softened (about 2-3 minutes).
• Season and deglaze: Add garlic powder, Italian seasoning, a pinch of salt, pepper and tomato paste to the pan. Stir until mixed in well. Pour in 3 cups broth, scratching the browned bits off the bottom of the pan.
• Cook the pasta: Add the diced tomatoes and uncooked pasta to the skillet, making sure to stir everything in until the pasta is covered with liquid. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the pasta is done, about 15 minutes. Add up to one more cup of broth during cooking, as needed. Serve with grated parmesan.

RIGATONI WITH WHITE BOLOGNESE

Steps:

• Add enough oil to a large, deep sauté pan to coat the base and place over medium-high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the onion, carrots and celery and sauté until glassy and just tender, about 5 minutes. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Add the sausage and beef to the pan, breaking it into walnut-size pieces, and brown well.
• Pour in the wine and keep at a rapid simmer until the pan is almost dry. Then pour in 1 1/2 cups beef bouillon and lower the heat to medium. Simmer gently, uncovered, until the bouillon is nearly gone, stirring now and then. Meanwhile, chop the rehydrated porcini into small pieces, reserving the liquid.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add mushroom liquid to the sauce to cover the meat halfway (about 1 cup) along with the porcini and continue simmering until the sauce is loose but not soupy, about 10 minutes. Taste and adjust salt and pepper; it should be highly seasoned. When the consistency is right, fold the cream in. Remove from the heat and cover.
• When the pasta water is at a full boil, add the rigatoni and cook until still firm, but not hard, in the center. When the pasta is almost done, scoop out 1 cup of pasta water and reserve. Drain the pasta and then return it to the pot. Pour the pasta sauce on top and fold in with a wooden spoon. The pasta should not be dry. Add a little pasta water or mushroom liquid to loosen it. (It will continue to soak up sauce on the way to the table.) Serve in one large bowl or in individual bowls, passing the cheese at the table.

BAKED RIGATONI BOLOGNESE

Steps:

• Meat sauce:
• Heat butter and oil in large skillet over med.-high heat. When butter foams, add onion, carrot, celery, cook, stirring until veggies lightly golden and soft, 4-5 minute
• Add veal and pancetta, cook, stirring, until meat lightly colored, 5-6 minute.
• Raise heat to high and add wine. Cook until wine almost all reduced, 3-4 minute
• Add tomatoes and broth, and season with salt and pepper. Bring sauce to boil. Reduce heat to low and cover skillet with lid slightly askew. Cook 1 to 1-1/2 hours, or until sauce has med.-thick consistency. Stir a few times during cooking.
• Béchamel sauce:
• Heat milk in small saucepan over low heat.
• Melt butter in medium saucepan over med.-low heat. When butter foams, add flour and stir 2-3 minute without letting flour turn brown.
• Add milk to butter all at once and mix quickly. Season with salt and cook, mixing constantly, until sauce has med.-thick consistency and is smooth and velvety, 3-5 minute (If too thick add bit more milk).
• Remove from heat, cover pan, refrigerate until ready to use.
• Preheat oven 400°F Generously butter large deep baking dish.
• Bring large pot of water to boil. Add salt and Rigatoni. Cook, uncovered, until tender, but firm to bite. Drain pasta and place in large bowl.
• Add meat sauce, 1 cup béchamel and 1/3 cup cheese. Mix thoroughly and place in baking dish. Top with Béchamel and sprinkle cheese over top, dot with butter.
• Bake 10-15 min., or until cheese melted and pasta nice golden color.
• Prepare ahead:
• Meat sauce day ahead. Reheat when ready to use.
• Béchamel few hours ahead.
• Pasta cooked and assembled with sauces one hour ahead.
• Bake just before serving.

RIGATONI WITH SUMMER BOLOGNESE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook as the label directs for al dente, about 12 minutes. Reserve 3/4 cup cooking water, then drain.
• Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the ground beef, 1/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper and cook, breaking up the meat, until no longer pink, about 4 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook until evenly combined, 1 minute. Add the wine and simmer until almost completely dry, 1 to 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of the reserved cooking water, the tomatoes and half the basil. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the tomatoes start to burst and the mixture is saucy, 4 to 7 minutes.
• Add the cheese to the sauce, then add the rigatoni; season with salt and pepper and toss, adding more cooking water as needed to loosen. Divide among bowls and top with the remaining basil and more parmesan.