Spaghetti Bolognese

Or... why didn't I take PICTURES!!!???

This actually comes with a story. I've been to Italy twice, but the best bolognese sauce I've ever had my friend Mallory made in undergrad. A bolognese is a style of ragu. Ragus, by and large, are made out of vegetables and meat with only a little tomato. A way to think about it is a ragu is a meat sauce with tomato, not a tomato sauce with meat. Anyway I discovered the secret to Mallory's recipe: grape juice. Like, instead of wine.

It sounds weird, I know.

But we were in the dorms, and wine wasn't allowed. The sweetness of the grape juice mellowed the sauce and really brought out some of it's richness. I was shocked. But I still remember it something like 6 years later. So, I remade it.

I doubt I got it exactly right and, truthfully, I looked at like 4 recipes to try and come up with some cohesive formula for bolognese. I've organized the recipe in steps since it's rather involved.

Spaghetti Bolognese

6oz bacon, chopped
1 cup celery, small dice
1 cup carrot, small dice
1 1/2 cups onion, small dice

In a large (6 qt) pot cook the bacon over medium-high heat until it's crispy and all of the fat has rendered. Add the celery, carrot, and onion and cook over medium to medium-high heat until browned. Be patient, it will take about 15 - 20 minutes but you'll get so much amazing flavor developed here.

1 lb ground pork (well... maybe not pork anymore)
1 lb ground turkey
12 oz can tomato paste
1 1/2 tbsp minced garlic

Once the veggies are browned add the meat. Again make sure the meat is browned - it will take another 15 - 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once it's brown and broken up into tiny delicious bits, add the garlic and tomato paste. Cook for another 4 - 5 minutes, stirring constantly.

1 cup grape juice
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup whole milk
water
2/3 cup heavy cream

Add the grape juice and let it cook for a few seconds. Then add the broth and milk. The mixture should be fairly think at this point and, thanks to the milk reddish orange. You'll want this to boil and cook down, so keep the heat about medium-high until it boils and add about a cup or two of water, just to make sure there's plenty of liquid. Once it's boiling reduce the heat to low. By all means add more water during the cooking process if it gets too thick, but don't add it all at once. Gradual is the key. The reduction process will probably take about 1 - 2 hours.

On another burner set the 2/3 cup heavy cream over low heat and let it reduce by half. Once the sauce has reduced, add the cream and BAM sauce!

I served this with some delicious whole wheat pasta and garlic bread. I am slacking on the pictures though :/ Oh, on a side note, I cooked an entire box of pasta and it was the perfect amount for the amount of sauce, to give you some kind of gauge.

Enjoy! This weekend??? who know... but cookies will definitely be involved!