Bolognese Meat Sauce (Emilia-Romagna)

Appetizers

Ingredients

Butter - 6 tbsps

Olive oil - 2 1/2 tbsps

Onion, finely chopped -1

Carrot, finely chopped - 1

Celery, finely chopped - 1 stalk

Bacon, finely chopped - 2/3 cup

Ground pork - 3/4 cup

Ground beef - 3/4 cup

Sausage meat - 1/4 cup

Chicken livers (optional) - 2-3

Dry white wine - 2/3 cup

Salt and pepper

Tomato paste - 4 tsps

Stock - 1 1/4 cups

Light cream or milk - 4 tbsps

Heat half the butter and all the oil in a deep frying pan. Add the onion, carrot, celery and bacon and fry over a low heat until the vegetables soften and begin to change color. Add the pork, beef, sausage meat and chicken livers, if used, and fry these gently until they begin to brown, crumbling with a fork. Moisten with wine and cook until it evaporates, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Dilute the tomato paste with a little stock. Stir this into the sauce, cover and cook slowly, stirring from time to time, and gradually adding the rest of the stock.

After the sauce has been cooking for 1 1/2 hours, stir in the cream and continue cooking until reduced. Finally add the remaining butter and stir until melted and thoroughly mixed into the sauce. 

About 1/4 pound chopped mushrooms, sauteed in butter and flavored with garlic and finely chopped parsley, may be added to the sauce at the last moment, if liked.

The above quantities will make enough for 1 - 1 1/4 pounds spaghetti.

Serves 6