Recipes › Pasta › Pappardelle Bolognese Recipe

Pappardelle Bolognese Recipe

Recipe by Pedro M. A. Neves

Pappardelle Bolognese is a classic Emilia-Romagna dish featuring wide, ribbon-like pasta draped in a slow-cooked meat ragù that builds complex, savory depth over hours. This authentic preparation combines ground pork, beef, and pancetta with tomato, milk, and wine to create a silky, luxurious sauce that clings beautifully to each strand of fresh or dried pasta. The result is comfort food elevated to its finest—rich, warming, and utterly satisfying.

Ingredients

• 150g ground beef
• 150g ground pork
• 100g pancetta, finely diced
• 1 medium onion, finely minced
• 2 medium carrots, finely minced
• 2 celery stalks, finely minced
• 150ml whole milk
• 150ml dry white wine
• 400g crushed tomatoes (canned or fresh)
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 400g pappardelle pasta (fresh or dried)
• 50g Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated
• 2 tablespoons butter (for finishing sauce)

Instructions

1. Heat olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced pancetta and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the fat renders and the pancetta becomes lightly crispy.

2. Add the minced onion, carrot, and celery (soffritto) to the pancetta. Stir constantly for 8-10 minutes until the vegetables soften, become translucent, and release their aromatics.

3. Increase heat to medium-high and add the ground beef and pork. Break the meat apart with a wooden spoon, stirring continuously for 6-8 minutes until all pink disappears and the meat browns evenly throughout.

4. Stir in the tomato paste and minced garlic, cooking for 2 minutes while stirring constantly to caramelize the paste and activate the flavors.

5. Pour in the white wine, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Simmer for 3-4 minutes until the wine reduces by half and its sharp alcohol note mellows.

6. Add the crushed tomatoes and bay leaf. Stir well to combine, then reduce heat to low. Simmer uncovered for 90 minutes, stirring every 15-20 minutes, until the sauce darkens and thickens considerably.

7. Pour in the milk and season generously with salt and pepper. Stir to incorporate completely. Continue simmering gently for another 45-60 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce becomes velvety and rich. The milk will help mellow the acidity and create a silky texture.

8. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed. Stir in the butter just before serving to add final richness and shine to the sauce.

9. While the sauce finishes, bring a large pot of generously salted water to a rolling boil. Add the pappardelle and cook according to package directions until al dente (3-4 minutes for fresh pasta, 8-10 for dried).

10. Reserve 200ml of pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta. Place warm pappardelle on individual plates or a large serving platter, top generously with Bolognese sauce, and shower with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. Add a splash of pasta water if the sauce needs loosening.

Substitutions

• Use ground lamb instead of pork for a slightly gamier, more robust flavor.
• Replace dairy milk with whole plant-based milk (oat or cashew) for a dairy-free version that maintains creaminess.
• Substitute pancetta with guanciale (cured pork jowl) for deeper, more assertive pork flavor.
• Use half ground beef and half ground veal for a lighter, more refined sauce.

Tips

• Resist the urge to rush this sauce. The slow cooking allows flavors to meld and deepen. A proper Bolognese requires at least 2.5 to 3 hours of gentle simmering.
• Stir the sauce regularly to prevent sticking and ensure even cooking, but avoid constant stirring which breaks down the meat fibers too much.
• The pasta water added at the end is crucial—it helps emulsify the sauce with the pasta, creating a cohesive, silky coating rather than a separated dish.
• If you prefer a less thick sauce, add more pasta water gradually. Bolognese should coat the pasta generously but remain pourable.

Authentic Bolognese (ragù Bolognese) originates in Bologna, the capital of Emilia-Romagna in northern Italy. Traditional recipes were codified by the Bologna Chamber of Commerce in 1982, emphasizing the use of equal parts ground beef and pork, the inclusion of milk or cream, and cooking times of at least three hours to develop the characteristic depth and silky texture.

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