We want to go on record and state that we fully support the effort that many people put into eating clean and shedding some post-holiday weight at beginning of each year. The reality of this time of year, though, is that with the onset of colder weather, sometimes you just want a hearty, comforting meal. We figure that as long as it remains the exception rather than the rule, a little stick-to-your-ribs indulgence every once in a while can be a good thing. That being said, there are few things in the comfort food firmament more filling and satisfying than a great, traditional meat sauce, and the best among them (in our humble opinion) is a classic Italian Bolognese. The only problem is that a true Bolognese can take hours to prepare. Wanting to capture the essence of this beloved sauce without sacrificing an entire afternoon to chopping, browning and stirring, the game was afoot to find a method that would cut the process down to a fraction of the time without subsequently sacrificing richness and flavor. We wanted the best of both worlds.
Turning again to Marcella Hazan’s Simple Tomato Sauce, it seemed like a great starting point. This tomato, butter and onion sauce takes only an hour to prepare, and having made and enjoyed it many times, we can vouch for its depth of flavor. Also, the halved onion stood in well enough for the soffritto of finely diced carrot, onion and celery that serves as the base for so many Italian soups and sauces, thus saving a tremendous amount of time and effort. Victory number one.
This recipe also features a little red wine, imparting even more flavor, and a bit of sugar to balance out the acidity of the tomatoes. These elements build layers of flavor quickly and simply, mimicking the qualities of a longer cooking time. In that same vein, while ground beef would work fine by itself, here we used a combination of beef, pork and veal to add even more complexity of flavor and to further offset the abbreviated cooking time.
Remembering that roasted beef bones are sometimes added to simmering stocks to give them extra body and flavor, Kyle figured (correctly and brilliantly, btw, so yay for the culinary degree) that they would work that same magic if added—marrow and all—to the simmering meat sauce. The trick was to get the bones in the oven right off the bat. In the half an hour that they took to roast, everything else was prepped and cooked so the bones and their rendered fat could go directly into the pot. The unctuous, glistening fat and deeply flavored marrow took the place of the butter in Hazan’s original recipe and imparted the sauce with the intense, unadulterated meatiness that typically marks a sauce that has been simmered for hours. Victory number two.
Between the aromas of the roasted bones, browned meat, evaporated red wine, and the simmering tomato and onion, your kitchen is going to smell like a saucy Tuscan dream. Ridiculous. This might tempt you to let this sauce hang out and simmer longer, which you can absolutely do, but it can be ready in about an hour and a quarter. That is a huge improvement over the “authentic” version. Hazan herself offers a Bolognese recipe that takes almost four hours, so we think that managing a Bolognese-style sauce in a third of the time is something of a feat. This is especially remarkable when you consider that this recipe is largely hands-off. You end up with a sauce that tastes like it took a great deal more time and effort than it actually did. Best of both worlds: Achieved.
Before serving, remove the onion halves and the bones. You can reserve the onion, as a simple mince turns it into a wonderful topper for crostini or regular toast. Since the fat and marrow have been rendered into the sauce, the bones can be discarded. That’s hard for us, because roasted marrow bones are a favorite around here. They make a fantastic and wonderfully interesting starter when served with a simple parsley and lemon salad and we can basically guarantee that that recipe will surface here on the blog before too long.
This sauce can be served with any of the ever-improving and increasing varieties of gluten free pasta, over a steaming bed of our favorite Polenta, or tossed with some roasted spaghetti squash, which is always a great grain free option. Top it off with some grated Parmesan cheese, pour yourself a glass of Italian red (Sangiovese, please), and enjoy those two and a half hours you just saved yourself. Cheers!
- 1 pound beef bones with marrow
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound ground meat (I used a pork/beef/veal combo)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ½ cup red wine
- Pinch of sugar
- 1 (28 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes
- 1 medium onion, peeled and sliced in half
- To serve:
- 1 pound pasta, cooked
- Freshly grated Parmesan
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the beef bones on a rimmed baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes.
- While the bones roast, heat the olive oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the ground meat and season with salt and pepper. Cook the meat until browned, stirring occasionally, about 5 to 8 minutes.
- Add the red wine and sugar and cook until wine has evaporated, about another 5 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes, onion, and roasted beef bones (along with any rendered fat) to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer gently for at least 1 hour, stirring occasionally and crushing the tomatoes against the side of the pot with a wooden spoon.
- Remove the bones and onion. Toss the cooked pasta with the sauce and garnish with some grated Parmesan cheese.
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