Megan's Bolognese

I don't have a great photo of my Bolognese or Bolognese Lasagna so I decided to share a recent photo of me and my 3 sons!  Aren't they fabulous...They love my Bolognese Lasagna but I don't make it often because it is so fattening.

Although you could add milk to this Bolognese Sauce, I usually don’t.  When using this sauce for lasagna, it is layered with Bechamel, which already has milk in it.   I make this 1 day in advance.  It thickens up so I add more broth for a smooth sauce before layering it in the lasagna.

Serves 10

6 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 red onion

2 celery stalks

2 garlic cloves

2 carrots

1 lb. ground veal

1 lb. ground pork

1 lb. ground beef

1 cup red or white wine*

2 cans 6 oz. tomato paste

2 cups broth - beef or chicken*

Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

*If you prefer red wine use it with the beef broth - but if you like a lighter taste try white wine with chicken broth - experiment and see what you and your family prefer.  My tennis boyfriends prefer beef broth with red wine.

Chop veggies finely (I use my Cuisinart)

Add olive oil and butter to your pan and sauté veggies until soft  - approx. 3-4 minutes.

Add meats to your pan and sauté approx. 10 minutes stirring often to keep smooth. Stir until they are nicely mixed and light brown in color - invest in a long handled wooden spoon - they’re great for almost chopping the chunks that try to form.

Add wine and cook approx. 4 minutes until evaporated - again stirring often.

Add paste and cook approx. 1-2 minutes until blended.

Add broth 1/2 cup at a time - stir after each addition - approx. 2 minutes each time.

Lower heat and gently cook for another 5-10 minutes.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

If you are making this for pasta you can add 1 cup of whole milk while adding the broth.  Add ½ cup broth, cook a while then add ½ cup milk and so on…until you reach a creamy consistency.