Bolognese sauce originated in the region of Emilia-Romagna from the small town of Imola, 21 miles southeast of Bologna. The recipe first appeared in an Italian cookbook in 1891. - Yvonne Hennigan

Bolognese Sauce (Ragu)

Ingredients

1 tbsp. vegetable oil

3 tbsp. butter

½ cup onion

2/3 cup chopped celery

2/3 cup chopped carrot

¾ pound ground chuck (80% fat)

Salt

Black pepper, freshly ground

1 cup whole milk

Whole nutmeg

1 cup dry white wine

1 ½ cup canned Italian imported plum tomatoes, cut up, with their juices

1 ½ lb. (24 oz) of fettuccini pasta from Handmade Pasta by Yvonne

Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese at the table

To prepare the Bolognese:

Place oil, butter and chopped onion in a 5-quart enameled cast iron pot and turn the heat to medium. Cook and stir the onion until it has become translucent, then add the chopped celery and carrot. Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring the vegetables to coat them well. (In Italian, the combination of onion, celery and carrot is called soffritto, which means “to fry slowly.”)

Add the ground beef to the vegetables, add a large pinch of salt, and add a few grindings of pepper. Crumble the meat in the pot with a sharp edge spatula, stir well, and cook until the beef has lost its raw, red color. Add the milk and let it simmer gently, stirring frequently, until it has simmered away completely.  Add a tiny grating (about 1/8 tsp.) of nutmeg and stir. Add the wine, let it simmer until it has evaporated, then add the tomatoes and stir through to coat all the ingredients well.

When the tomatoes begin to bubble, turn the heat down so the sauce cooks at a tiny simmer, with just a few bubbles breaking through to the surface. Cook for 3 hours, stirring occasionally.

If the ragu begins to dry out, add 1/2 cup of water when necessary to keep it from sticking. However, no water must be left in the bottom of the pot when the ragu is finished. Keep ragu warm and covered while preparing the pasta.

To prepare the pasta:

In a large 6- to 12-quart pot (do not use the strainer of a pasta pot), bring at least 6 quarts of water to a rapid boil. Add a large handful of salt to the boiling water. Add the fettuccini pasta to the boiling water and time for exactly 2 minutes! Place the ragu in a large serving bowl when you add the pasta to the water. Do NOT strain the pasta.

Using tongs remove the dripping pasta from the boiling water one scoop at a time and place in the serving bowl on top of the ragu. Gently toss the pasta with the ragu after each additional tong full of pasta. If necessary, add 1 tbsp. of the hot reserved pasta water to loosen the mixture.

Serve immediately with freshly grated Parmesan cheese on the side. (Adapted from Marcella Hazan)

Serves 6

While you’re at it, why not try Yvonne Hennigan’s Multicolor Fettuccine with Black Trumpet Mushroom Sauce , or her Pesto alla Genovese sauce.

STORY BY KATE BENZ // PHOTOGRAPHY BY ADAM MILLIRON

STYLING BY ANA KELLY // RECIPES BY YVONNE HENNIGAN

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