The Best Bolognese

This meat sauce is an absolute staple in my family and this sauce in frequent rotation. It's very forgiving with lots of room to customize to your own personal taste. Enjoy!

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Ingredients

6 tbsp Salted Butter (2 tbsp to start, 4 tbsp to finish - just before serving)

2 tbsp Olive Oil

1/2 Sweet Onion - finely diced

3 Carrots - peeled & finely diced

3 Celery Stalks - finely diced

1 lbs of ground beef, turkey, or veal (Preferably with a higher fat content)

2 jars of Tomato Passata (Mutti)

1/2 cup dry white or red wine (not sweet)

Dried Oregano

Dried Rosemary

Dried Thyme

Garlic Powder

Onion Powder

Salt

Pepper

Parmigiano Reggiano

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A few notes before we get started:

• You can omit the wine if you prefer an alcohol-free recipe but the alcohol will burn off regardless.

• I prefer to use Mutti, but use whatever brand you prefer. I find that their tomato passata is slightly sweeter than other brands and is a current favorite.

• With spices, I don't ever really measure, I go based on taste/look, but you can always start with a tsp and go from there! Fresh thyme and rosemary also work wonderfully in this recipe.

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Peel and finely dice carrots, celery, onion. In a heavy bottomed pot over medium heat melt 2 tbsp of butter and olive oil. Add carrots, celery, onion, and a pinch of salt. Allow to cook together for at least 5 minutes. Add in spices and cook for another 5-10 minutes. You can always taste the carrots/celery - you want them to be a bit tender. Add in wine to deglaze the pot. Once alcohol smell has burnt off, add in ground meat. Season with more salt and pepper, using a wooden spoon to break up the meat and ensure it cooks evenly.

Once the meat is nearly fully cooked, add in tomato passata. Fill up one jar about 1/2 with water, add lid, and shake. Then pour the tomato/water mixture into the second jar and repeat. Then add to the pot to thin out the sauce. Turn the temperature to medium-low and cook for at least 20 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent burning. If the sauce ever looks too thick, add a little water and stir.

Use an immersion blender to smooth out sauce (I prefer it this way but my brother loves to leave it chunky). Add remaining butter and taste to see if any additional seasonings are needed.

Serve over pasta (penne rigate, tagliatelle, or rigatoni). Top with flaky salt, freshly grated parmigiano reggiano, and enjoy!

I love to open a bottle of Chianti or medium-bodied French or Italian red to have with this.

Can also be frozen and reheated.