Pasta con Ragu Bolognese

Oregano and marjoram can be used interchangeably—the flavors are similar. Commonly believed food lore is that Bolognese sauce originated from someone using a leftover meatloaf to fortify a sauce.

Serves: 10Hands-on: 30 minutesTotal: 2 hours 15 minutesDifficulty: Easy

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Serves: 10

Ingredients

  • 4 slices toasted Italian bread
  • 1⁄2 lb. lean ground beef
  • 1⁄2 lb. ground veal
  • 1⁄2 lb. lean ground pork
  • 1 large egg
  • 1⁄4 cup grated Romano cheese
  • 3 small shallots, peeled and minced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1⁄4 cup chopped marjoram or oregano
  • 1⁄2 tsp. ground black pepper
  • 6 plum tomatoes, diced
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 1 lb. spaghetti

Directions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Soak the bread in water and immediately squeeze out the liquid.
  • In a large loaf pan, mix together the ground meats, egg, cheese, shallots, garlic, marjoram, bread, and pepper. Bake for 45 minutes.
  • Break up the meat mixture in a large saucepan, add the tomatoes, and simmer for 1 hour, uncovered.
  • While the sauce simmers, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the pasta, and cook until al dente. Drain and set aside.
  • In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, reduce the cream by half the volume, then whisk it into the tomato-meat mixture.
  • Add the pasta to the sauce and toss to mix.