Ingredients
2 cups yellow onion, finely chopped
1 cup celery, finely chopped
1 cup carrots, finely chopped
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons dried basil
2 tablespoons dried oregano
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons black pepper
64 ounces San Marzano tomatoes or plum tomatoes
2 pounds 90/10 ground beef
1 bottle chianti
1 quart heavy cream
Method
Start with a mirepoix of yellow onions, celery and carrots finely chopped. Throw them in a large pot on medium heat with a bit of olive oil and a small pinch of salt, pepper, garlic and a bay leaf.
The point is to get these veggies to soften up and leave a fond, the little stuck pieces on the bottom that will add flavor. Once cooked down, mix with a wooden spoon and add a cup of red chianti wine. Scrape the bottom of the pot to get all the fond incorporated.
Add the ground beef and brown. Over the meat, pour the rest of the bottle of wine. Simmer for 15 minutes. Add the dried basil and dried oregano.
Add the San Marzano tomatoes and simmer for 2 hours. Make sure to stir the pot every 20 minutes so nothing sticks. After 2 hours, pour in the cream and simmer for another 2 hours.
After those 2 hours, use the wooden spoon to break up any whole tomatoes or large chunks of beef. You may need to add a bit of sugar if the tomatoes used are not very sweet. San Marzano tomatoes are perfect for this sauce.
Remove from heat and let cool. Bolognese is always better after it’s left for a day in the fridge. This lets all the flavors come together and lets the sauce thicken a bit more. The next day, add your sauce to a pan to quickly reheat. Toss in freshly boiled pasta and stir to combine. Plate it with grated Parmesan cheese and top with fresh basil.