I’ll bet you are thinking that I’m going to give you a recipe for L’Amante’s famous Bolognese sauce. Sorry, but I can’t do that. If you want the sauce then you are going to have to come to the restaurant and order it. However, I will tell you how you can make a really good Bolognese sauce for yourself at home.

First, a little about what Bolognese sauce is. As the name implies it originated in the city of Bologna, the gastronomic capital of Italy. If you ever get the chance to visit the city you will be treated to some of the most wonderful culinary delights Italy has to offer: fresh pasta, tortellini with a plethora of fillings, lasagna with rich béchamel sauce, all things cured imaginable from the pig and of course the Bolognese. Duck into any trattoria, or Ristorante in Bologna and they will be serving Bolognese. You could experience as many versions of the sauce as there are places to eat it. That’s the great thing about Bolognese sauce, there are thousands of versions. Everyone has their own way of making it. Some were taught by their grandmother or mother. Others were taught by a famous chef and others just experimented on their own until they came up with something they liked. That’s kind of how it happened for me. After working for chefs both in Italy and here in the states, I took a little from each and applied my own technique until I got something that I liked. Judging by how well it sells at L’Amante I would say that there are many others who like it as well.

So, how do you go about creating your own spectacular Bolognese sauce? Well, first it starts with the ingredients. You have to use the best you can find just like you would for any recipe. Then you have to make a determination on what type of meat you want to use and in what proportions. I know someone who uses all veal. It’s good but the texture just isn’t right for me, it’s a bit mushy. Some will use all beef but that can be a bit strong for me. I use  ground veal, beef and pork.  Next come the tomatoes. I suggest using imported canned tomatoes. If you can get your hands on peeled plum tomatoes from San Marzano, Italy use them. If not any peeled plum tomato from Italy will do. I like tomatoes that are in a thin juice and I crush them by hand. I don’t like the crushed tomatoes. Vegetables are an important part of the sauce. Most chefs will use a standard mirepoix (onion, carrot, celery), which is what I do. If you like garlic you can add some as well. A food processor works well to get the mirepoix the same size, roughly, as the meat. The alternative is to finely chop the mirepoix by hand. This may work for small batches but not in the restaurant. (I know there are some hard-core chefs out there that may say using a processor is cheating but when you make as much as I do you need to cheat a little bit every now and then). You may want to add some fresh herbs with the mirepoix.  The last decision regarding ingredients has to do with dairy. Are you going to use milk or cream? Traditionalist insist on using milk but I like cream because of the richness. Of course you will also be adding cheese. It’s your choice, either expensive Parmigiano Reggiano or the less expensive Grana Padano.

Now comes the fun part, making the sauce. Start by browning the meats in a large, heavy bottomed saucepan. Remove the meat and drain most of the fat. Add the mirepoix and herbs and cook until soft, about 5 minutes (it’s ok if the mirepoix gets a bit caramelized, but not too much). Add the meat back in and stir to combine. Add the milk or cream and let reduce. Add the tomatoes and stir to combine. Let come to a boil and turn down to a simmer. Cook for at least one hour until it is the desired consistency. Serve with your choice of pasta and top with cheese. That’s it, see how easy that was?

I know, this is not a recipe. I have not given any ratios or amounts of ingredients. That was done on purpose. I told you, if you want L’Amante’s Bolognese you have to come to the restaurant. I have given you the basics. There are plenty of actual recipes in cookbooks and online where you can get amounts and ratios. Look one up and start experimenting until you come up with something that works for you. There is no “right” Bolognese recipe. If you were to put 1,000 Italian grandmothers in a giant kitchen and told them to make their Bolognese sauce you would have 1,000 versions.

Good luck and Buon Appetito!!

Next time we’ll talk about the Squash Blossom Fritters stuffed with Taleggio and drizzled with honey and truffle oil.