MEAT*****Ragù alla Bolognese (Classic Bolognese Meat Sauce) - Eating Well - 5 Points

  • 8

Ingredients

  • 8 servings
  • 1/2 small yellow onions, finely chopped
  • 1/4 red onion, finely chopped
  • 1 large carrot, finely chopped
  • 1 1/2 stalks celery, finely chopped
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 pound lean ground beef (90% or leaner) I used 8 ounces of ground round and 8 ounces of lean ground beef (could try half veal, too)
  • 1 sweet italian sausage, removed from casing and crumbled
  • 4 oz minced prosciutto, if desired
  • 1 tbsp. finely minced garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 - 3 small sprigs of thyme, stripped
  • pinch red pepper flakes
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 2/3 cup 1% milk
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 2 - 3 grinds dried porcini mushrooms
  • 28-ounces canned whole peeled tomatoes
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 parmesan rind - removed when done
  • 1 chunk proscuittino end - removed when done

Preparation

Step 1

* Finely *chop* onions, carrots and celery in food processor.

* *Put* onions, carrots, celery, butter and oil in a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven and *place* over medium-high heat. *Cook*, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are lightly browned, 8 to 15 minutes, *adding* garlic for last few minutes.

* *Add* ground beef and *break* it up with a wooden spoon. *Season* with salt and add red pepper flakes and thyme and continue *stirring* until the meat has lost its red color, about 4 minutes.

* *Add* wine and cook, *stirring* occasionally, until it has almost completely evaporated, 18 to 25 minutes. *Add* milk and nutmeg and cook, *stirring* occasionally, until the milk has mostly evaporated, 12 to 18 minutes.

* *Coarsely* chop tomatoes and add them and their juice to the pot. *Add* bay leaf, prosciuttino and parmesan rinds. *Once* the tomatoes have started bubbling, *reduce* the heat to low so that the sauce is barely simmering. *Cook* uncovered for 4 hours, *stirring* occasionally. If all the liquid evaporates before the cooking time is up, *add* water or beef or chicken broth 1/2 cup at a time as needed, remembering that it isn't supposed to be "soupy".

* *After* 4 hours, make sure all the liquid has evaporated before you remove the sauce from the heat. *Remove* bay leaf, prosciuttino and parmesan rind and *blot* or skim any fat from the surface before serving.

*NUTRITION:*

* Calories - 226
* Fat - 13.7
* Sat Fat - 5.7
* Carbs - 6.7
* Fibre - 1.4
* Protein - 13.8