Red Wine Bolognese

1. 1

   Put the onion, carrots, celery and garlic into a blender or food processor. Pulse until everything is very finely chopped like in your photos. You want tiny pieces, not vegetable purée. Depending on the size of your blender, do this in batches.

2. 2

   Heat a large pot or deep pan over medium heat with a little olive oil. Add all of the chopped vegetables and cook for about 12–15 minutes, stirring occasionally. There’s a lot of moisture in the vegetables, so give them time to soften and cook down before adding the beef.

3. 3

   Add the beef and break it apart with a wooden spoon. Season lightly with salt and black pepper. Cook until there’s no pink left and the beef starts getting a little browned.

4. 4

   Stir in the garlic powder and Italian herbs. Cook for another minute or two so everything gets mixed into the meat.

5. 5

   Pour in the entire bottle of red wine. Stir everything together and bring it to a good simmer. Let it cook uncovered for about 10-15 minutes first so the wine starts reducing and the really sharp alcohol smell cooks off.

6. 6

   Stir in about half a jar of marinara sauce and add the bay leaves. The marinara is there to give it some tomato richness, but the red wine is still the main liquid in this sauce.

7. 7

   Turn the heat down and let the sauce simmer gently, uncovered or partially covered, for about 1½–2 hours. Stir every once in a while. You’re looking for the loose wine-and-tomato mixture to reduce into the thick, dark sauce. If it still looks watery, just keep going.

8. 8

   Remove the bay leaves. Taste before adding more salt because everything will have concentrated while simmering. Add a small pinch of nutmeg and stir in the grated cheese. Let it cook for another 5 minutes.

9. 9

   Add the cooked spaghetti directly into the meat sauce and toss everything together over low heat for a couple of minutes. If it gets too thick, add just a splash of pasta water. Finish with more cheese and black pepper.

Wine Pairing

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