Categories: Pasta
Ingredients
- Bolognese Sauce:
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small white onion, finely chopped
- 1 small carrot, finely chopped
- 1 celery rib, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2 bay leaves
- 6 oz. ground veal
- 6 oz. ground pork
- 1/2 cup full-bodied red wine
- 28 oz. can diced plum tomatoes, with their juice
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- 4 large basil leaves, cut into chiffonade
- Polenta:
- 4 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 13 oz. instant polenta
- 6 oz. soft pecorino, shaved with a vegetable peeler
- Black pepper
- Fresh oregano or basil leaves for garnish
Directions
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To make the bolognese: Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-low heat. Add the onion, carrot and celery and cook about 5 minutes, until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic and bay leaves, and cook for 1 minute more. Add the veal and pork and cook, stirring to break up any chunks, until the meat is no longer pink, about 7 minutes. Add the wine, raise the heat to high, and cook until the liquid is reduced slightly, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and their juices and the cream and reduce the heat to low. Cook, uncovered, for about 1 hour, stirring every 10 minutes or so. Season with 3/4 tsp salt, plenty of pepper and the nutmeg. The sauce should be very thick and chunky. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in the Parmigiano and the basil and remove the bay leaves.
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To make the polenta: Combine the chicken broth, milk and salt in a large, heavy saucepan and place over medium-high heat. Bring the liquid to a simmer, then gradually sprinkle the polenta over it in a very slow, thin stream, whisking constantly in the same direction until all the grains are incorporated and no lumps remain. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the polenta is so thick that the spoon stands on its own, 5 to 6 minutes.
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To serve, scoop the warm polenta onto a large wooden parchment paper-lined serving tray or cutting board and smooth into a thick oval. Arrange the cheese on one end of the oval and the warm Bolognese sauce on the other. Grind pepper over all, garnish with oregano or basil, and serve immediately, with a large serving spoon.