[RECIPE] Ben's Famous Bolognese

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Is there a better Italian sauce than bolognese? Who cares, it's great, and this low-and-slow version is knock-your-socks-off delicious! Plus, it's always satisfying to have a pot of Italian sauce burbling away on the stove all day.

BEN'S FAMOUS BOLOGNESE SAUCE
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2 tbsp olive oil
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 large white onion, finely diced
2 ribs celery, finely diced
2 carrots, finely diced
1/4 lb. pancetta, finely diced
1 lb ground chuck
1 lb sweet Italian sausage
1 cup dry white wine (maybe a little more, WINK!)
1 28oz can diced San Marzano tomatoes
1 cup beef broth
1 cup whole milk (maybe a little more, WINK!?!!?!)
1 tsp dried thyme (optional)
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper (optional)
S/P

1. Heat olive oil in large pot over medium high.

2. Add garlic, onion, celery, carrots and pancetta, season with salt/pepper, and saute until veggies have sweated out, about 5 minutes.

3. Add ground beef and sausage, season again with S/P, stir in, breaking it up with your spatula, until meat is crumbled and no longer pink.

4. Add wine, allow to simmer until reduced by about half (5 minutes or so)

5. Add tomatoes (undrained), broth, milk, thyme and red pepper (if using), bring to a low simmer.

6. Simmer, uncovered, for 3-4 hours, occasionally skimming oil/fat off of the surface, until sauce has thickened to about chili consistency.

7. Season to taste with S/P.

[Jizaboz]

What kind of pasta do you usually serve this with?

[Flack]

http://www.creepypasta.com

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What kind of pasta do you usually serve this with?

I like a hearty cut; fettucini, papardelle, that sort of thing. But even plain old macaroni noodles would be elevated to epic levels by this amazing sauce!

My other favorite thing is to use it as the sauce for a lasagna, in place of marinara or whatever you'd normally use.

[Tdarcos]

Will this work without wine? I happen to be a lifetime teetotaler as I cannot stand the taste of anything alcoholic.

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Yes, you can substitute with a little more broth and something like lemon juice or vinegar.

I could argue that cooking with wine doesn't make the dish taste like anything alcoholic, and you have probably eaten plenty of things that were cooked with wine at some point in the process, but I just... I just don't have the energy for it today.

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Also, thanks for bringing that up, it had been a few weeks since you reminded everyone that you don't like alcohol.